Social Media: used to Judge

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.

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