On Tuesday we had the privilege of Mr. Miller coming to speak to our class about social media and the effects it can have on your professional life. This was just as educating and inspiring as it was terrifying!

Reflecting back, I got Facebook when I was in grade 7 -roughly 12 years old. This meant that I used it for fun. I posted silly pictures with my friends and goofed around with text on their “walls” and comment forums. Fast forward a few years later and I was still actively using social media to update friends and post content that I thought would only be shared with them. Now I’m not saying that I was out getting in trouble with the law, I was just a young kid doing normal high school things like attending parties and trying the odd beer.

It truly is unsettling to think that those carefree years could come back to haunt me. I have now been on social media for more of my life than I have NOT been. Meaning at 25 I have been on social media for 13 years. I don’t remember everything that has been posted of me or where to find content I haven’t been “tagged” in to get deleted.

Moving forward, I think that you just have to do the best that you can. Be human. Make mistakes. But always try your best to be a better version of yourself yesterday. This doesn’t mean drastic changes. But perhaps letting friends and family know you don’t need that family photo on Facebook where you are beside the bottle of wine might help.

I have since deleted all careless high school content and even saved some pictures for my own personal collection! These are some great memories, but just don’t need to be shared with the world (especially future students!).

All-in-all, Mr. Miller’s presentation taught me a lot about the lack of control and ownership I have over my social media. We can often feel secure with things like privacy settings but at the end of the day you just can’t be sure if you are choosing to post something on a free social media platform, where it will end up.

I found this presentation extremely informative and really appreciated him being brought into class! I have gained new perspectives and knowledge that I can guarantee will benefit my future career as a teacher!