FaceBook Makes it Hard to Lie

“Facebook…it’s not like being at home and writing in your diary. It’s out there for the whole world to see.” - Nathalie Blanchard

Are you FaceBook friends with your boss or colleagues? At my previous job, I was. And that made it extremely hard to lie or hide details of what I did on weekends or vacations. Not that I wanted to be deceptive, I just preferred to keep some parts of my personal life...personal. Also, I was sure that if I ever even considered calling in “sick,” it would be Murphy's Law that the one time I did it I would be outted accidentally by a FB friend or family member. Not only did I have to be careful what I posted on FB, but what my friends posted. I am 28 but I still flinched when a friend recently posted several pictures of me with a beer in my hand at a local Atlanta bar for a birthday party.

In light of this it was no surprise when I read an article in the AJC, “Facebook photos cost Canadian her benefits.” Basically, a Canadian woman was on sick leave for depression and receiving monthly benefits when an agent found her FaceBook photos partying it up on vacation. Her benefits were promptly cut. FaceBook photos showed her at a Chippendales bar (sounds fun!), at a birthday party, and on a sun holiday. Recently, a teacher in Atlanta was forced to resign because of European vacation photos showing her holding a glass of wine. An anonymous “parent” (who is more likely a disgruntled colleague) complained about it.

I can easily see how occurences like these came about. On my FaceBook account, one former classmate posts endlessly about his unraveling marriage and impending divorce, often heavily cursing. Another girl posts about how much she hates her life and how hard the dating world is. It’s very depressing and I don't think that will get the guys to line up. But again, both examples are of people who should be writing in their diary instead of FaceBook.

My husband, who refuses to get a FaceBook account, constantly harps on the fact that people are giving way too many personal details out and it’s going to bite them in the butt. I expect that situations like this Canadian girl and the Atlanta teacher find themselves in are going to be occurring more and more. This is not a new concept by any stretch but people still aren't getting it. My take? Zip it, people.

Thoughts?