Social media — the core of modern social interaction, judgment, social perception and entertainment. It’s where we make snap judgments about who’s making something of themselves when, in reality, those who are genuinely busy and thriving often don’t pay much attention to “followers” or “likes,” because they’re devoting their time to having real experiences and improving their professional résumés — you know, that thing that should get you employed faster than 100 thumbs-ups on a Facebook status from an obscure group of high school acquaintances and distant relatives.
This past weekend an old friend of mine came down from Utah State University, and we were able to hang out and catch up. The topic of social media came up when he started criticizing my Instagram, saying I didn’t edit my photos as much as I should and that I didn’t post enough “cool pictures,” and that was why I didn’t have very many followers. I laughed because it seemed completely absurd that I should even care. Maybe I didn’t have very many followers, but I also didn’t follow many people myself. I’ve always kept my media ties more exclusive, but, as I learned yesterday, if I “want to come across well in a competitive world, [I] need to up my social media game because it’s what matters.” Yeah, right. Okay.
Granted, this friend of mine does manage the social media platform of the HURD, which is USU’s version of the MUSS. But trying to get me to believe that what you post on social media will influence things as serious as future employment and professional connections seemed far-fetched. I agree completely that people should refrain from posting pictures of themselves in their U hoodies while they’re getting trashed at an underaged party. But to believe that having 200 likes on an Instagram photo makes you more hireable than having 25 is ridiculous. Popularity is meaningless when those acknowledging your contributions to social media don’t know a single thing about you aside from the done-up, staged images you hand over to them. If an employer really wanted to base his or her hiring decision on something so shallow and unrepresentative of hireability, I’d rather they not give me a second look.
People’s obsession with social media is out of control, especially if it’s reaching the point of infiltrating the professional sphere, the way my buddy thinks it is. So many people care more about sharing moments with complete strangers for likes than they do about genuinely experiencing those moments. This obsessive culture is only growing, which leads me to believe there may be potential employers out there who care more about internet popularity than they should, even if it isn’t always deliberate. Social media pages are easily accessible, and with how ingrained they are in our culture, it isn’t unusual for employers to take a look. But they should be careful with how much weight they give someone’s ‘Insta’ when considering potential job performance and competency.
As time goes on I worry more and more. Maybe employers now have different mindsets because they grew up without such intense attention placed on social perceptions through media. What if, when I’m trying to get a job a few years from now, someone in their 30s is looking to hire me — someone who has been more in-tune with social media for a longer period of time? What if he does base his hiring decision on how someone comes across on the internet, which is exactly what my Aggie friend said he’d do if he was ever in a position to hire? It’s scary to think of and even scarier to believe I’d ever have to join this internet popularity bandwagon just to be successful. But hopefully the efforts I’ve put into generating a résumé of work experience, good grades, volunteer work, etc. will speak louder than my Instagram filled with stupid 15-second slow-mo videos of me dancing to “High School Musical” and unfiltered pictures of my dog.