Topics in Ethics: Technology

The purpose of this paper is to introduce, discuss, and analyze the topic of social networking. Specifically it will discuss the impact of the social networking site Facebook on today’s society. My position with this paper is “ for Facebook”. Facebook has become a phenomenon for the social networking set. Facebook allows people who probably never would have met each other in person to communicate, it creates new relationships and friendships, and it places distance between people who could communicate in person but instead choose to communicate online, instead. It is just another element of society that is interested in sharing information with the intimacy of a close, personal relationship. Whatever users choose to post information publicly on Facebook that is his or her choice. However, there have been many situations where employers have requested or even required applicants for employment or employees to provide their username and password to the online social networks to which they belong. “Some situations also involve employers asking an applicant or employee to log in to their Facebook account to allow the employer to search through that account” (Delaney, 2013, p. 87). Even worse, some employers have refused to hire an applicant or disciplined or discharged employees, based on a refusal to supply the information. Creating negative posts or pictures that involve co-workers and or patients (if working in healthcare) can lead to termination from employers. The first benefit to using Facebook for finding a job is the fact that one can network with potential colleagues and business associates. Since the majority of people are on Facebook, for business and personal reasons, you can use this to your advantage. Many professions require networking to be noticed and get your name out there, and the largest