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Latest Web Fad 'Face-Booking' Not a Private Issue
By Heather Sells
CBN News Reporter
CBN.com – (CBN News) - Tens of millions of high school and college students are hopping on a new trend, popularly known as "face-booking."
The online phenomenon encourages students to post personal profiles and connect with friends--both old and new.
But there are some unexpected hazards to the seemingly innocent activity.
When 17-year-old Mary Ellen posted her name and picture, she never imagined it would be used against her.
Mary Ellen remarked, "This one girl basically recruited 20 girls to make my life brutal."
Online, Mary Ellen found her pictures doctored, and damaging personal comments posted about her.
Mary Ellen is one of tens of millions of students who have flocked to on-line social directories. They have taken off in just the last two years and involve more than 2,000 universities and 25,000 high schools.
Facebook.com, one of the biggest sites, is so popular it has become a verb.
“But there's a downside to the activity, in addition to Mary Ellen's experience,” student Katie Silverman stated. “Many on-line postings contain incriminating information. And that is bad news for both high school and college students.”
Privacy lawyer Parry Aftab added, “What might be fun when you're talking to your 14- or 15-year-old friends may not look so good when you're looking at a college recruiter or trying to get that
very competitive scholarship.”
College students are also realizing the potential hazards. It has become increasingly common for universities to use the online directories to investigate underage drinking and other violations of campus policies.
Employers are also using the sites to screen candidates. Some students say that is a violation of their privacy. But privacy experts warn that nothing should be posted publicly that is not fit for a principal, predator or recruiter to see.
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