"Guess Who's Looking at Your Facebook Page?" Non-Fiction Reading Response

Before clicking that post button, think twice about tweeting about your horrible job and posting the picture of your teacher on Instagram. It may just seem like a joke or taking out your anger, but in the world, it seems like a whole lot worse. Alessandra Potenza expresses that privacy is very hard to find online, especially on social media in her article, “Guess Who’s Looking at Your Facebook Page?” Once it is online, anyone can see it- parents, teachers, and or employers. It is always up there and can never be erased. In other words, the claim Potenza is making is one of the only things you can’t find online is privacy.

        At the start, Potenza shows that there is no privacy online through someone losing their job from a post. Potenza starts off her article by introducing Kirsten Kelly, a waiter in Ohio. Potenza writes, “She posted her Facebook status update on a Friday night in July. By Monday, she was fired.” A customer had shown her manager a post Kelly wrote that complained about the lack of tips she was receiving. This shows social media hurt her because she became unemployed from the post. Online on a public website isn’t somewhere to complain about problems because it can have many consequences. Kelly thought she would just get yelled at at most, but after that day, she realized the manager can do anything he or she wants. This part of the text shows me, there really isn’t much privacy online. Sharing personal information on websites is mistakenly thought of as private. However, in reality, there is no security on information online, especially on social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Therefore, the example of Kirsten Kelly shows privacy is unavailable online.

        Furthermore, Potenza shows privacy is unavailable online by telling the story of Emma Sullivan. She was a high school senior when she tweeted about Governor Sam Brownback and faced consequences for her actions by her principal, who found it offensive. Potenza writes, “Two years later, the incident is still all over the internet if you Google her name. And she worries it might affect her chances of getting a job.” This illustrates how the internet is like haunting ghost. There is no privacy online because her story is still around two years later. Posting things on the internet can permanently scar her from getting a scholarship, job, and many other things she might need in the future. Once it was out, its out, and she couldn’t take it back. She is stuck with for the rest of her life. From one pose, anyone can become famous, but known for something they will probably regret. Just because it is deleted, doesn’t mean it is offline. It is like a heavy burden that will never unload off your back. Emma Sullivan’s story shows posting things online can haunt people because privacy is so hard to find.

        After reading this article, I realized that one small post, picture, and or tweet can turn into a horrible nightmare. This makes me think of labels because on many occasions people get labeled from their online profile. Take Emma Sullivan for example, from now on she is remembered by her offensive comments. Online profiles seem to define us. This has created an interest in social media and thinking before I put something online. This article shows me how social media has become such a big part of many of our lives. Social media is how people get to know each other. However, anyone can get to know anyone. This concludes it, but what I’m still thinking is, is privacy even in the online dictionary?