Four Tips On Law School And Social Media

Four Tips On Law School And Social Media

Social media has revolutionized how we interact with one another. Believe it or not, there was a time where tweets, DMs, comments, and tagging your friends never existed. However, nowadays social media is intertwined with many aspects of our lives. From dating to sharing pictures to job hunting – social media plays a role in all of those things! For law students, social media can provide a much-needed escape from the stress that law school brings. In fact, most law schools actually keep a very active social media presence! Despite all of its benefits, social media use in law school can sometimes be a slippery slope. Law students need to be extra careful of content posted on social media and be cognizant of its ramifications. Your law school, peers, and future employers will all be keeping a close eye on your social media. That means some ground rules should be reviewed before you decide to post that “SpRiNG BRreAk – VeGAs2021” album. Let’s take a closer look at what to keep in mind.

Four Tips On Law School And Social Media

Employers Care About Your Content

As a general rule, don’t post anything on social media that you would be hesitant to show an employer. Human resource departments do check social media accounts and do take your content into consideration. It’s understandable why employers do this. While a candidate may have a squeaky-clean appearance on the exterior, their social media profile may reveal a different story. If an employer is going to train, onboard, and hire you – you’d better believe your social media matters. So, keep social media profiles free of any bad language, excessive alcohol use, and raunchy pictures. Instead, consider posting that photo of your golden retriever. After all, who doesn’t love dogs?

The Internet Never Forgets

Many people feel safe behind the glowing screen and clattering keyboard of their computers. However, always remember that once something is posted on the internet, it’s never really ever permanently deleted. If someone somewhere wants to find a track record of content that has been deleted – they can. Even if you delete that video of you streaking on campus within five minutes of posting – chances are someone saw it. So, before you post something on social media, always remember that it’s never truly erasable.

Likewise, if you’re considering creating an “anonymous” profile to troll your friends, professors, or law school – we’ll stop you right here. It is a lot easier than you might think to track a post or photograph back to you. Like we mentioned above, if someone really wants to figure out where something came from, they can.

Your Law School Cares About Your Content

Your law school has a vested interest in the success of its students, faculty, and staff. That means if you post something related to your law school, it’s likely fair play for them to get involved. What would this look like? Social media posts about a specific professor, the law school in general, or other students are all good examples. So, while you may be fuming at a certain professor over a grade – keep it to yourself. At the very least, keep it off of the internet. The last thing you want is for your law school to have to take disciplinary action against you. Most law schools actually have social media policies that students aren’t aware of (you should be sure to check out your law school’s social media policy!).

P.S. – Law school disciplinary action is something that has to be reported on your moral character application!

Private Profiles Are Your Friend

Keeping your Instagram, Facebook, or other social media profiles private is a good idea regardless of whether or not you’re a student. Keeping your profiles accessible to only those individuals that you approve of can be a lifesaver. That means no random person from across the world can just wind up on your page. More importantly, it means that you previously authorize those who have the ability to post on your page(s). While this won’t completely eliminate the chance of something improper being posted, it will reduce it significantly because you’ll have more oversight.

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