How Much is Too Much?

Social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace have changed the way that teenagers interact with each other. A huge issue that has surfaced through these interactions are privacy and the sharing of too much information. Inappropriate postings, constant updates without pre-meditation as well as risque photographs are some of the ways these kids are exploiting themselves in a negative way. The exposure through this information can harm one of the most important parts of a teenager's psyche, their reputation. Given their developmental phase adolescents are extremely critical about how they are perceived.
Joanne Finkelstein, Dean of School of Humanities & Social Sciences at the University of Greenwich, and writer of Art of self-invention: image and identity in popular culture shares, "Thinking about how others see us is an engrossing preoccupation." Through personal experience as well as readings on adolescent development I feel like this consciousness is strongly felt throughout the teenage years. "We are in an era where impressions matter, and where reputation is both an asset and a liability. Part of our daily maintenance now is to secure personal details and prevent becoming 'anonymized' or invisible."
Social networking via the internet is a easy and accessible form of communication for teens and adults alike. You choose who you want viewing your information, you choose who your friends are, and you decide what you would like them knowing about you. The more information you share the more frequent your postings, and pictures will appear in your friends "news feeds". Perhaps this help boost reputation and popularity for teenage social circles.
Teen Vogue a fashion and trends monthly American magazine geared towards the adolescent population posted a blog about the sharing of too much information on Facebook in the January 2011 articles. It was designed to inform that what they share can effect more then just their reputation. It can cause them to be denied admission into college or lose job opportunities. "In a recent survey on TeenVogue.com, 94 percent of readers polled said teens should be more concerned with privacy on the Internet."
I feel like the issue of exploitation should not only be discussed in the media, but in the schools as well. As teachers we have a responsibility to make sure we are current on what teenagers are interested in and what influences them. Social networking can be a positive form of communication, but future generations need to be made aware of the harm it can cause.