Oversharing Merriam Webster defines social media as, forms of electronic communication (as Web

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1 Brennan 1 Gail Brennan Dr. Anne Erickson English 102: Persuasive Writing and Reading 22 August 2011 Oversharing Merriam Webster defines social media as, forms of electronic communication (as Web sites for social networking and microblogging) through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content (as videos) (social media 2011). Loosely defined, social media is the act of sharing information with others and building and engaging in relationships. Social networking sites (Facebook, Twitter, Flicker, etc) are the offspring of a decade of growth of the social media phenomenon. With the rise of popularity of social networks, users are being encouraged to share with the world all sorts of data about themselves, their relationships, and their activities. Now some people are beginning to question whether they should post their entire life online, and that maybe there is such a thing as oversharing your personal information. Due to the nature of social media, there are many types of sharing, which can all be done through various websites or applications. Users can share photos of themselves using Flicker, Daily Booth, Facebook photos, or TwitPic. Status updates can be instantly generated through Twitter, Facebook status and IM status. Users can post their current location with Foursquare and Trip It, and sharing music has never been easier with the ever-changing technology of itunes, Grooveshark, or Audio Acrobat.

2 Brennan 2 The websites and applications provide users with the opportunity to share information with many different people, quickly. From an outsider s perspective, they can gather a lot of information about who the users are as a person, what their interests are, who their friends are, and their relationship status without ever having a conversation with them. This is oversharing. What is oversharing? What is considered too much, and what are the ramifications of making your personal information public? Overshare as it pertains to social media,

3 Brennan 3 means to divulge excessive personal information, prompting reactions ranging from alarmed discomfort to approval. It was Webster's New World Dictionary 2008 Word of the Year. Oversharing is what happens when the lines blurs between our online and offline selves. Yes, Social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and YouTube allow people to connect, converse, and discuss what is important to them, but, at what point do people began sharing too much? Too Much Information or TMI is about crossing the lines. It is about divulging information that compromises your own personal privacy or the privacy of another. It is about safety and security when the information that you are putting out their compromises your own personal safety and security or that of another. Computer scientists and policy experts say that such seemingly innocuous bits of self-revelation can increasingly be collected and reassembled by computers to help create a picture of a person s identity, sometimes down to the Social Security number (Lohr 2010). Posting that you and your family are going on vacation for two weeks on your Facebook page is definitely TMI. Users need to give serious thought to the contents of what they share on the internet. The majority of information that people overshare on the internet is information that others do not need to know or care to know, and it is information that usually is not relevant or helpful to anyone, as seen in this video, which ruined this girl s internet reputation and affected her academic standing at her school. Oversharing comes with ramifications that are generally not seen by the user until it is too late. Before sharing, users should ask themselves; Are there any tradeoffs or potential drawbacks from sharing this information with the entire world? The significance of

4 Brennan 4 sharing relevant and streamlined content to represent ourselves effectively online is rapidly increasing with social media. A well-disciplined blog featuring informed personal opinions is naturally eye-catching, but the user needs to be aware that information posted on the internet cannot be erased. Though there are many benefits to sharing information online, the internet should generally be considered public because private information can become public if passed on and post in most online communities are public by default. Most of the information posted online can be searched, and can be seen be huge, invisible audiences. Most information posted online can be copied, altered, and sent to others. It is almost impossible to take down, and it starts to spread the minute it is posted. Oversharing over the internet can get out of control fast, so it is important to consider the consequences beforehand. Sharing information with others online can be fun and rewarding, but, sharing online can sometimes go too far. Sharing information such as one s address can put one s safety at risk, as well as sharing information that can come back to embarrass someone. The consequences of oversharing can range from being just a little embarrassing to being devastating to one s reputation. Employee s can lose their jobs, students can be denied entrance to college, and reputations can be tarnished. It is important to think before posting information on line and put only information that makes you proud. Ultimately, one wants to be able to shape their digital footprint as much as possible.

5 Brennan 5 Works Cited Lohr, Steve, How privacy Vanishes Online, The New York Times, 16 March 2010, nitor.com/2001/0724/p11s1.html, web. 19 Aug 2011 Social Media Merriam Webster.com. 2011, Web. 17 Aug 2011