by Logan Stewart,

Do you have a Facebook page?  What a question.  Of course you do!  In this technology-crazed era, not being connected on a social media site like Facebook, Myspace, or LinkedIn is almost as antiquated as not having an email address. 

Rewind to 2006, a little after the dawn of the Facebook revolution, when the site was finally becoming mainstream and you could join regardless of whether or not you were affiliated with a college.  I resisted because not only did it seem like a chore to go through the time-consuming steps to set up a detailed profile, but I just wasn't sure I wanted to put my personal face on display for the vast World Wide Web.  I finally gave in to many friends' cajoling and joined, and the site that once seemed a nuisance to me quickly became an addiction. 

I learned quickly how to acquire friends, and as I added them I was amazed at the people that seemed to virtually crawl out of the woodwork.  My friend collection spanned long-forgotten kindergarten pals, current and former co-workers, and drinking buddies.  I became friends with my brother's friends, people I met at the gym, and yes, my ex-boyfriend from middle school.  When I topped 500 friends, I was secretly a little bit smug.  Who knew I was so popular?

Meanwhile, I'd also discovered the photo sharing opportunities that Facebook offered.  I displayed the requisite Friends and Family albums, but after a while I got a bit edgier and created "Nights Out in Vegas" and "Don't Ever Mix Bourbon and Red Wine" albums.  Various friends would post comments about my photos such as "was that before or after you threw up?" 

One day, Facebook sent me an email that someone had commented on one of my photos, as the site normally does. But when I clicked to the photo, I did a double take and for a moment, all I could do was stare at the computer screen. 

The photo in question was of me on an innocent night of debauchery with some friends.  I was sticking my tongue out suggestively at the camera, can of beer in hand, and a platonic friend was licking my earlobe.  "I hope this wasn't the night before your big presentation!" my boss had commented. 

That's right, my boss.  It somehow slipped my mind that even she was on Facebook, and oh, yeah, at some point I had in fact added her as one of my hundreds of friends.

Luckily, my boss is a fairly laidback person, and her comment was nothing more than gentle teasing.  But nonetheless, it was embarrassing, and it did drive home a point.  Social media seems to be the rage now, but it can be easy to get caught up in the amusement and forget that sites like these present a whole new scenario when it comes to background information and your professional appearance.  Any information you post on sites like these ultimately risks being seen by anyone, be it your neighbors, your exes, or current or potential employers.  And in the game of career-building, reputation can be everything.  I'm just grateful it was my immediate boss who saw my photos, and not the company CEO!