Okay, I am participating in social media right now. I am now on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, and I now even have a blog that you are nice enough to read. I did none of this 5 years ago. I even just signed up for Skype and may get one or two of those webcam chat things, now that I (finally) got myself into the 21st century with a computer with a built in webcam attachment. I even have a Kindle Fire tablet which goes with me everywhere. (Yes,I am serious). All of these things are nice to have and they do help when you are hours and/or thousands of miles from your family and friends back home, like (most) of our brave service members, contractors and DOD civilians are around the world and you want to communicate in (many cases something close to or in) real-time.
Still, I must say that one should consider the use of social media as a privilege, not a right. The tings you say or tweet or show can have consequences, maybe not today, or tomorrow, but it could matter 10 years down the road. You should realize the power it gives you to communicate, and that power has responsibilities, as well. Yes, we laugh and gasp and do other things when we look at those gossip websites like TMZ, Media Take Out and the like and see the crazy stuff that (famous, usually) people do in public (or in private, or what they though was private). Many of those things we probably should not be saying. One wrong word in a email, one unflattering photo or one no so good tweet can trash your reputation or crush your career before it get started....for most of us. The old saying is: You never get a second chance to make a first impression. That is so true. For a lucky few, those bad photos or tweets work out well for them. Emphasize lucky few. Some of us make money by taking these paparazzi photos, digging out these stories and things like that. Don't hate them for doing their job, but realize that if you do stupid stuff that they find out about, you make their work easier and your life harder at the same time. Seriously.
Most of those who will read this blog are not famous (at least not beyond where they live or maybe the state where they reside). Famous or not, reputations matter. Your good name matters. Look, let's be honest. Most, if not all of us, have something about us, big and/or small, that he or she does NOT want the general public, much less family or friends to know. Many (okay, most) of us have some physical imperfections and/or emotional issues or the like that they may not want everyone to know about.
Some of us may like to do things in our private life that, though it may be legal, some may have issues with. Some drink (more than they admit, but still responsibly), some go to parties or places where they see and/or do things that some may have issues with (that covers many things). For military folk and their families, there are things they cannot and must not discuss in social media due to operational security (or OPSEC, for short). The simple reason is that if such information got out and the enemies of our great nation got their hands on such...bad things can and will happen. People can and will die as a result.
So we ALL must be careful with what we say in public or tweet or post or show on webcam. Whether you are in the military, work in the private sector, are a housewife (or husband) or a teenage kid, OPSEC matters. Your reputation matters. Your good name (and that of your family members and friends) matters. Be careful.
Still, I must say that one should consider the use of social media as a privilege, not a right. The tings you say or tweet or show can have consequences, maybe not today, or tomorrow, but it could matter 10 years down the road. You should realize the power it gives you to communicate, and that power has responsibilities, as well. Yes, we laugh and gasp and do other things when we look at those gossip websites like TMZ, Media Take Out and the like and see the crazy stuff that (famous, usually) people do in public (or in private, or what they though was private). Many of those things we probably should not be saying. One wrong word in a email, one unflattering photo or one no so good tweet can trash your reputation or crush your career before it get started....for most of us. The old saying is: You never get a second chance to make a first impression. That is so true. For a lucky few, those bad photos or tweets work out well for them. Emphasize lucky few. Some of us make money by taking these paparazzi photos, digging out these stories and things like that. Don't hate them for doing their job, but realize that if you do stupid stuff that they find out about, you make their work easier and your life harder at the same time. Seriously.
Most of those who will read this blog are not famous (at least not beyond where they live or maybe the state where they reside). Famous or not, reputations matter. Your good name matters. Look, let's be honest. Most, if not all of us, have something about us, big and/or small, that he or she does NOT want the general public, much less family or friends to know. Many (okay, most) of us have some physical imperfections and/or emotional issues or the like that they may not want everyone to know about.
Some of us may like to do things in our private life that, though it may be legal, some may have issues with. Some drink (more than they admit, but still responsibly), some go to parties or places where they see and/or do things that some may have issues with (that covers many things). For military folk and their families, there are things they cannot and must not discuss in social media due to operational security (or OPSEC, for short). The simple reason is that if such information got out and the enemies of our great nation got their hands on such...bad things can and will happen. People can and will die as a result.
So we ALL must be careful with what we say in public or tweet or post or show on webcam. Whether you are in the military, work in the private sector, are a housewife (or husband) or a teenage kid, OPSEC matters. Your reputation matters. Your good name (and that of your family members and friends) matters. Be careful.
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