{"id":10680,"date":"2014-06-09T10:23:06","date_gmt":"2014-06-09T18:23:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.spokeo.com\/compass\/?p=10680"},"modified":"2022-04-13T12:17:37","modified_gmt":"2022-04-13T20:17:37","slug":"how-are-colleges-using-social-media-to-keep-tabs-on-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.spokeo.com\/compass\/how-are-colleges-using-social-media-to-keep-tabs-on-students\/","title":{"rendered":"How are Colleges Using Social Media to Keep Tabs on Students?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Social<\/a><\/p>\n

College is great. It\u2019s a time for freedom, for exploration, for extreme pressure coming at you from all directions\u2026.<\/p>\n

Wait, what? Now that we\u2019re all living our lives digitally (read: visibly<\/i>) at all times even college students need to stay on top of their social media personas. Colleges are quickly realizing social media is a great way to keep tabs on students \u2013 good and bad \u2013 and they won\u2019t hesitate to use what they find against you if necessary.<\/p>\n

So, how are colleges using social media to keep tabs on students? Better check your profiles.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re checking for inappropriateness.<\/b><\/p>\n

Some students make it easy for college disciplinary boards to harangue them simply by being inappropriate online. Not only could tasteless photos and statuses get you expelled, they could hurt you long down the road once you start applying for jobs, too.<\/p>\n

The Solution: Take this stuff down! You should always <\/i>be hyper-vigilant about your online persona which means monitoring every tagged photo, curse-word laden status update, and even keeping an eye on the groups you\u2019re in and who you follow. Never, ever rely on privacy settings to shield you from your college staff\u2019s prying eyes. Not only are you probably more visible than you think, it\u2019s relatively easy for disciplinary staff members to gain access to your profiles through other college students. A good rule of thumb is if you wouldn\u2019t want your mom to see it, it shouldn\u2019t be online.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re monitoring your attitude towards authority.<\/b><\/p>\n

When you\u2019re enjoying the first taste of freedom of your life, a little rebellion seems like a good idea. The good news is, colleges aren\u2019t going to breathe down your neck if you miss class (you rebel, you!) but they will <\/i>take notice if you\u2019re trash-talking the campus police, the University President, or the faculty and they won\u2019t stand for it.<\/p>\n

The Solution: Remove all offending material. Even if that Instagram photo of you TP-ing the chancellor\u2019s yard at 3am is your Best Selfie Ever, take it down! It\u2019s just bad form to complain about school or social hierarchy and it makes you look ungrateful and immature. Not only that, but colleges get enough flack from the media \u2013 they don\u2019t need your bad attitude bringing down the school average.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re seeing if you really need that financial aid.<\/b><\/p>\n

Financial aid gifts from colleges are supposed to be unbiased but it\u2019s probably best to avoid posting pics of your new $300 sneakers if you telling your college you can\u2019t afford textbooks.<\/p>\n

The Solution: Don\u2019t use social media to be a braggart. Take down any super-flashy pics you\u2019ve posted and think twice before \u201cchecking in\u201d at your local Louis Vuitton store. Whether or not you need financial aid, no one likes a bratty college kid and you\u2019re probably coming across that way whether you like it or not. Now\u2019s the time to learn how to be humble and grateful for everything you have, and bragging about material possessions just makes you seem insecure and vulnerable to peer pressure.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re noticing what you Like.<\/b><\/p>\n

Maybe you \u201cliked\u201d that Misogyny As a Lifestyle group because you were writing a paper in high school and you wanted to have an ear to the ground. That\u2019s smart! What\u2019s not smart is making that information public or leaving it visible once you\u2019re done with said paper. Like it or not, what you align yourself with online is a reflection of your college.<\/p>\n

The Solution: Treat your social media profile like a T-shirt. If you wouldn\u2019t proudly wear a shirt proclaiming your love for something totally politically incorrect proudly down the street, don\u2019t put it online. You wouldn\u2019t want to be friends with someone like that and colleges don\u2019t, either.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re Googling you.<\/b><\/p>\n

Unfortunately, sometimes you have very little control over what college admissions counselors actually see. If a simple Google search of your name pulls up something unflattering (an arrest for shoplifting, for example) there\u2019s not much you can do to get rid of it.<\/p>\n

The Solution: Face the problem head-on. If you\u2019ve been through something your college has a right to know about, particularly a legal issue, go ahead and fess up. You\u2019ll probably face more lenient punishment than if you hide the offense and wait for someone to take notice. Beg for forgiveness and hope your college takes your honesty as a sign you\u2019re a changed student.<\/p>\n

Spokeo<\/a> is a great tool for online research, especially for information about yourself. Be sure to run a quick search on your email<\/a> and any usernames<\/a> you commonly use. See what’s out there about you. Maybe an old Flicker profile with photos you’d rather not share? Yep, you can thank us for helping you find it!<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t make your time in college harder on yourself. Enjoy it! Go out! Have fun! But don\u2019t feel like you have to document everything you do on social media. College is precisely the time for you to make stupid decisions and big mistakes\u2026you\u2019re only hurting yourself by creating a very public, very permanent record of it all.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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