Digital literacy is essential in an era of online information gathering and networking. The misuse of social media affects internet users on many social and professional levels. Most internet users’ personal information is not protected and is, in many cases, the property of various social sites. Young people, especially college students, need to educate themselves on the risks of inappropriately using social media and make a shift toward professional networking.

Lucy Johnson, a rhetoric and composition professor at WSU, led a Center for Digital Scholarship and Curation workshop two weeks ago. The workshop informed students that YouTube controls ownership rights to all content uploaded and has the power to remove any uploaded content from the site at any time.

In addition, some cellphone applications and websites stockpile sensitive information collected through cookies on internet databases that are vulnerable to hacking, Johnson said.

College students express themselves and present their personal moments of joy, sadness and achievement on social sites. Information as sensitive as birthdays, employment history, past and present places of travel and family members can be seen on Facebook accounts. Such information makes its users vulnerable to financial fraud and creates the risk of being impersonated over the phone or through fake accounts.

In addition, many employers check their candidates’ social media accounts and what is posted on them. Job candidates’ inappropriate social media statements, pictures or rhetoric discourage professional employers from hiring them. Candidates are not only looked at as future professional assets to their work place, they are also seen as the image of it.

“Some of the staff in our office do check our candidates to make sure that their online profiles are not offensive and that they are promoting themselves in a positive way,” said Jane Estocin-Klaiber, administrative manager of the Center for Civic Engagement. “Because, ultimately, anybody we hire is a reflection of our office and of WSU.”

WSU holds numerous workshops every year to encourage students to network and demonstrate their achievements through professional networking sites like LinkedIn or Handshake. For instance, last year, the Voiland College of Engineering Office of Experimental Learning offered engineering students the opportunity to get professional pictures taken for their LinkedIn accounts free of charge.

LinkedIn is a specific social site for professional networking and businesses. There are about 300 million LinkedIn users worldwide. It is easy to navigate and has search features that allow users to find people in their industry, field of study or area of research.

“It’s a great place to network with employers across the world,” Estocin-Klaiber said. “And it’s a professional place where you can put your information.”

LinkedIn also enables users to follow known experts relevant to their business or field of study. It saves you the hassle of having to reach out to them personally or via e-mail and phone. You can simply login and see their updates on your newsfeed.

Using social media wisely has an influence on people you might encounter in your professional career. College students should be more mindful of what they post on the internet and maintain a professional image for themselves.