You Need To Be Reminded of This…

With the ubiquity of social media applications and billions of users on the internet, social media has gradually metamorphosed into a platform for verifying people’s identity. A close observer who has had anything to do with a job application and visa application in recent times would have noticed that these days, you are required to add to your resume your social media accounts. A US visa applicant between 2015 and 2021 would have noticed that the US embassy now requires that you add your social media account to your visa application. What does that tell you and what’s the implication? Our awareness is gradually being drawn to the fact that days are gone when you parade a certain identity on social media and portray a different one of your visa or job application portfolio. Let’s take for instance that you portray yourself as a Ph.D. holder on Facebook and all your posts and publications bear the prefix Dr. Then it happens that an opportunity comes for you to travel abroad and in your visa application form, you indicate that your highest level of education is a Bachelor Degree and that your reason for traveling to the US is to pursue a Masters Degree. Hold it! Imagine the contradiction! Who are you trying to deceive? Do you know before the day of the interview or shortly before that, the consulate officers or job recruiters, run a brief background check on you before asking you questions. What if they discover you are lying about your academic qualification just to obtain a visa by trick or to get a job in which you are incompetent ? Of course, the consequence is an outright denial. But who is responsible for the denial you or them?

I am trying to raise this awareness about the use of social media. In the past, I wrote an article similar to this which I think changed the perspective of many people. We an in an age where most decisions are data-driven. Your data on social media can be mined with software algorithms that could analyze who you truly are. Don’t take this as a joke. I am being honest here as an IT person. Your Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and other accounts could be authentic sources of information about your daily life, your preferences, your religious and cultural world view as well as your fake identity. Job recruiters rely these days on your Linkedin account or other social media handles to understand better who you are. Don’t convince anyone that you are skillful in writing poetry when you have no single poetic work on your social media posts. If you are part of those who post indecent pictures, don’t even try to convince anyone that you are modest in real life. Granted that these social media handles do not often portray the authentic self-image of a user. They do though, go a long way to revealing the identity of the person behind the mask. Software algorithms do that better.

The future is what you make out of today. Live out the authentic self on social media. Showcase your talents, skills, achievements using these digital platforms. Be conscious of your identity and always ask yourself, if I were to present myself to anyone tomorrow for a job or interview, would my social media identity contradict who I claim to be? The answer to this question will change your perspective. There are things that are better left secret about our achievements in life, be sure of what you put out there for public consumption for the sake of tomorrow. Let’s share this message and build a better future today.