Facebook Stalking

Recently I found myself having a conversation with a friend after coming back from spring break. While she was telling me all about her vacation, I realized that I creepily already knew all about where she had been due to pictures on Facebook. The more I thought about this, the more I realized how creepy Facebook actually is.

Whether it is wall posts, pictures, or other Facebook applications, our possession of Facebook accounts does indeed take a lot away from our right to privacy. When we upload our latest photo albums publicly displaying where we have been and whom we have been with, it allows basically anyone on the Internet to have intense insight into our lives. Though we can set our privacy settings, Facebook ultimately has ownership over everything we post to it.

While we sometimes may not realize it, when we post pictures or comments on Facebook, we have control over who maybe seeing it. This may not initially seem like a problem, but this has currently developed into a serious issue in the professional world. Now, when we are applying for jobs or scheduling interviews, companies and employers frequently browse Facebook first. When inappropriate pictures or posts bombard potential employees Facebook pages, employers now wave this as an automatic red-flag.

Though it may in some ways infrine on personal privacy, Facebook provides many benefits. It is an awesome way of communication and sharing, but we must remember to take caution in what we display, as is open for all eyes to see.

Internet Diagnosing

As we begin to choose topics for our next English paper, I found the idea of the Internet and its effect on health a particularly interesting subject that had not crossed my mind before. Though doctor visits and check-ups are always important to our health, now it is much easier to research symptoms, browse through treatments, and even diagnose ourselves with the help of the net.

Websites such as WebMD, provide thorough and quality information of all health issues from the common cold to cancer. One can compare symptoms or medicines and create fairly accurate predictions about one’s own health through this wealth of medical information.

In the past, whenever people have stuffy noses or stomachaches, people would run to the doctor. But now, we can simply click a few buttons and find that there is actually no need for emergency care, which in return may help the crowded waiting rooms of the doctor’s office. It also may help detect signs of serious illnesses earlier, when finding that medical treatment should be sought. Who knew the Internet could be our new medical aid?