We have done some pretty amazing things with technology in the past couple of decades. We can carry one device that can literally contain every bit of proof of our existence through including the DNA left by our touch and usage. We can log on to a computer from Hong Kong and watch the Bright House GOTW with a Slingbox, but one of the best and worst things to happen to our digital society has been the creation of social media like Facebook and Twitter. We basically have the ability to bore, entertain, annoy or otherwise generally communicate with people almost up to the second.
What has been a revolution to some has caused or shown proof of the devolution of others and that’s through the invention of chat rooms, message boards, and the aforementioned social media platforms. It’s not a secret nor a running joke that some 5 year-olds are better at controlling an iPhone or iPad than most adults. It’s also scarier than the first time I saw Wendy Williams without make-up. Our worst fears have come true. We are in the last days of the Roman Empire and we now get to watch it like the freaking Truman Show. That’s. Just. Peachy.
I don’t care to get on Facebook nor will I ever care because of the absolute horror stories I’ve seen and heard about. There have been marriages broken, felonies committed and lives just plain ruined on the site and that’s just the first 3 hours on a Friday Night. Main reason why I don’t like Facebook is because I don’t do photos. Not that I don’t enjoy them, I just don’t care for the whole world to see. I also don’t buy into the “security” of the whole thing either. If your bank can get hacked, what do you think they can do to your Facebook Account?
On to the kiddos. Hey guys. Let’s break it down. One thing I can say about Facebook is keep your business squeaky clean. Especially if you’re a highly-valued or “exposed” recruit. Big Brother is out there y’all. Don’t get it twisted. If you don’t believe me, then google “Big Brother” and not the reality show either you knuckleheads. In this case ‘Big Bro’ is actually dudes that get paid to check your FB Account as part of their “character assessment.”
You’ve got to be a few sandwiches shy of a picnic of you think it’s not checked by your prospective programs. Why would you put anything up you wouldn’t want your mom looking at? And yes, I’m being dead serious. Your FB is a part of your brand. (More on that shortly.) So with that in mind, allow me to kick it to you in about as real terms as I can get without violating the laws of decency and professionalism (even for an opinionated column.)
If you’re going to live like Charlie Sheen then post it to an account that I can get access to I don’t want you on my team or program. Keep your image clean. Your either pimpin’ or getting pimped and those “good times” ain’t worth squat about 4 months from now. She will have moved on. Trust me. Now let’s address the posts on your walls; Just. Stop. It. Stop….it. If you cannot accurately “portray” yourself as nothing other than a fine upstanding member of the English-speaking world then you should back away from the keyboard. You’re hurting yourself. Go “be about that life” somewhere other than a site where you’re judged solely from your words and pictures without ever having met in person. That’s Russian roulette if you ask me anyways.
On to Twitter. I love Twitter. To be good at Twitter requires skill. You get 140 characters. Not words. Characters. Like, letters and stuff. Some of the best also happen to be some of the brightest, but as is the case with everything there’s a ying to the yang. There are some complete morons out there and you need to NOT be one of them, so let me run down a few things I call “bueno” (good) and “no bueno” (not good.) First, it is no bueno if you are in habitual violation of the rules of spelling or grammar. Not that you are a horrible person, it’s just that image thing we talked about. Not only that the spelling and grammar police from the masses (known as followers) are brutal. Just trust me. Here’s what you do. Hit the “protect your tweets” option. This will force you to approve them following you. It’s going to help you.
Keep it all in perspective. If you’re a recruit, it’s most likely (and muy bueno) that you’ll want to keep your account limited to visits or periodical updates about offers and so on. Again it’s not for everybody, but since you decided to swim in the deep end without your floaties I’m trying to help you out. Just keep treading. I’m almost done. It is no bueno and in fact mucho malo (very bad) to constantly update us or retweet what you or your friends are doing.
Guess what? Outside of your parents, your coaches, and some dude named TideForLife01 or some Clemson Fan named DannyFordIsGod on the message boards nobody cares. The Twitterverse only cares about your health and well-being in the classroom and on the field…and if you’re going to rush for 1,500 yards your freshman year for our alma mater. You know…nothing major.
Remember one last thing. This is all a part of your “brand.” Whether you realize it or not you’re in the business of yourself. Recruiting and using the media to your advantage is about strategy and perception. Not everyone has the ability to make chicken salad out of chicken bleep you know what I mean? You need to adopt the mentality of a company called BASF. Their motto is, “We don’t make the products you buy, we make the products you buy better.” I can make an Armani suit look good on a pig if you let me, but how can I if you give me no material to work with?
Now go on and marinate on that for a minute.
Last but not least, be genuine. It’s tough to be a teenager, and to be exposed to the world regardless of how many people ‘follow’ or ‘unfollow’ you, but you can manage it as long as you keep it in perspective. Use these social media platforms as part of your business plan which is part of your recruitment strategy. That’s what this is about. Playing at the next level and going through a smooth as possible recruiting journey is most certainly bueno in my book.