First impressions have always been important in society. Studies have been conducted at NYU with the results showing that we make 11 major decisions about one another within the first 7 seconds of meeting each other. It is no surprise that in those 7 seconds you have already made a superficial judgement on the person you just met. As social media becomes much more prevalent in society, the questions begs to be asked: Where are first impressions being formed these days?
I still remember when I was coming into my freshman year in college, I was signed up to live on campus and was eagerly awaiting my random roommate assignments, the minute I was notified of their names I immediately searched for them on Facebook. I wanted to know what to expect and what kind of person it was I was going to be rooming with. Those seven seconds quickly passed as I allowed social media to become a place for first impressions. While this judgement didn’t face serious repercussions as far as making a decision, I was stuck with the roommate whether or not I liked them based off of their Facebook, there are other areas where using social media as a place to formulate first impressions could be dangerous.
Often times I have heard of employers I have sent my resume to researching me on the internet and looking at my Facebook profile. A first impression and judgement of who I am was being formulated beyond my resume and before I even stepped inside the room for an interview. I can see how this could be un-welcomed and potentially dangerous, but ultimately I think it is important to realize the importance of how we present ourselves online. We should make a conscious effort to put our best foot forward online just as we do when meeting someone in person for the first time. How we conduct our social media matters.