If you haven’t scrubbed your social media clean, maybe go do that now.
It isn’t only politicians or others with a public profile who have had their reputations dashed on the rocks of old social media posts. It happens to everyday people, too. Just ask Winder, Georgia, teacher Ashley Pain, who was fired after a parent complained about a holiday photo Pain posted to Facebook of her smiling with a drink in both hands.
Do you really want your reputation or your livelihood destroyed by a bad joke, a carelessly expressed opinion, or an in-joke aimed at your friends?
Then head to your profile on the platform of your choice and start deleting because, in the age of social media, you might be next on the chopping block.
A candidate for city council in Ward 11, Kevin Lalonde, dropped out of the race this week after someone discovered a comment he shared on Facebook a few months ago. The person who found the comment shared it with a Facebook group on Sudbury politics, outrage ensued and Lalonde felt he had no choice but to drop out, apologizing profusely for what he’d said.
In case you haven’t heard, Lalonde used the R-word (“retard” or, as Lalonde wrote it “Ra-tard”) to describe those who think the Kingsway Entertainment District is a bad idea.
Let me be perfectly clear: I’m not defending Lalonde’s use of such an odious term. He shouldn't have used it. He’s had to eat a big plate of crow in public, no easy task, and has put aside his aspirations to represent the people of Ward 11. Like another disgusting term that’s rightfully fallen into disfavor — the other F-word, “faggot” — “retard” belongs in the dustbin of history.
When I was kid, though, both words were perfectly acceptable and commonly used by many people. I’m glad society has made terms like these repugnant. We’re better for it.
I’m also glad social media wasn’t around when I was younger, because in the 43 years I’ve been walking around on this planet, my opinions have grown and evolved, just as I have grown and evolved. I’m sure many of you can relate. I’m sure many of you are embarrassed by things you once believed or opinions you once held.
We’ve all written or said things we wish we hadn’t. The difference in 2018 is permanence. Since 2006 when Facebook was opened to anyone over the age of 13, a record exists of everything you’ve shared on that platform. Have any of your opinions changed over the past 12 years? Do you remember every single post or comment you’ve made, every meme you’ve shared? Did you ever think people other than your friends could decide to dig through your timeline? Can friends of friends see your posts?
Unless you’ve already edited your social media history or paid attention to your privacy settings, everything is there for someone to find and share, in perpetuity. Maybe you made an off-colour joke one time, thinking only friends and family (who know the real you and understand your sense of humour) would see it. Maybe you commented on something that, in the context of a discussion, is innocuous, but could be taken out of context in a way that makes you look terrible.
Or maybe, just maybe, you shared an opinion that time, maturity and personal growth have softened, altered or utterly changed. It doesn’t matter if you’ve become a fundamentally different person in the intervening years; in the court of social media, you will be pilloried. Anything you’ve said can be used against you.
I went back through my timeline this week, all the way back to 2007 when I joined Facebook. Or tried to. I'm not what you would call a heavy Facebook user. I rarely share anything personal. But even a light user like me has made thousands of posts. For many people, trying to review it all would be a Sisyphean task.
Still, it might be worth the effort. Whether you’re running for office or simply applying for a job, if you’ve been on social media for any length of time, it’s probably a good idea to take a trip back along your timeline. Maybe edit the story of you for public consumption. Or at least beef up your privacy settings.
You never know who's watching.
Mark Gentili is the editor of Sudbury.com and Northern Life.
