Online Family Safety

Is Your Teen’s Online Profile Clean?

By Kim Boatman

If your teen hated his job last summer at the local pizza parlor, chances are he let everyone know about it on Facebook. So what happens when it’s time to hand in applications for this summer’s job -- or to submit college applications? He could be out of luck.

More than 45 percent of companies scour social networking sites for information about job candidates, according to a 2009 survey by job-search site CareerBuilder.com. Companies are sending potential employees friend requests and even asking interviewees to log on to their Facebook profiles during interviews, says Michael Fertik, founder of ReputationDefender, a business that works to defend and build its clients’ online reputations.

Although most adults know not to post inappropriate material on social networks, teens aren’t always as conscious about their online profiles. Here’s how to make sure your teen has a positive online identity:

Help your teen build a clean online profile
Obviously, the best solution is to teach your teen not to post inappropriate or embarrassing material. “Think of most things you put up on the Web as potential lifetime tattoos,” advises Fertik. To make sure your teen’s online profile is work- or college-appropriate, experts suggest these steps:

• Google your teen.
  Find out what information is publicly available, says Matt Sarrel, information security expert and executive director of Sarrel Group, an information technology consulting firm. Even if your teen’s Facebook profile is set so only friends can see the content, search results could show the groups he’s joined or the pages of which he’s a fan. You can also set up a Google Alert to receive notifications when new information is posted with your teen’s name. (Go to Google and find the More button on the top left of the screen. Click More, then click Even More, then click Alerts to set it up.)
  
  
• Hire a professional.
  For fees ranging from $10 a month to $600 a year, companies like Reputation Defender conduct a deep Internet search and show you the information posted about your teen. The company also asks social networks or Internet service providers to remove information and even produce new content to create a more positive online profile for your teen.
  
  
• Clean the profile out.
  Julie Gallagher, a Sacramento-based reputation management specialist, suggests having teens go through their profiles once a month and delete anything over 75 days old. “Their friends have had plenty of time to see it,” says Gallagher. Also be sure your teen removes embarrassing photos and photo tags on pictures other people have posted -- he can even ask friends to remove those photos from the site.
  
  
• Think like an employer.
  It’s not just about risque pictures and references to partying: If your teen displays a negative attitude (slamming friends or former bosses, for instance), employers will take note, says Sertik. Even a casual reference to blowing off homework can be damaging. Most teens carefully guard their profiles when it comes to parental involvement, but it’s critical that your teen lets you or another trusted adult review his postings.
  
  
• Adjust privacy settings and groups.
  Facebook offers detailed privacy settings that your teen can use to group friends, then decide what each group can view. On Facebook, go to Account, then Privacy Settings. Note that under Search, you can control both who sees a Facebook search result and whether Facebook information will show up in search engine results.
  
  
• Use a pseudonym.
  Have your teen establish a personal profile under a pseudonym, says Sarrel. Many young working professionals maintain separate Facebook accounts for friends and colleagues.
  
  
• Create a positive identity.
  Use your teen’s real name to establish an online profile that highlights accomplishments, leadership roles and extracurricular activities, advises Sarrel. Your teen could also create a blog or website that showcases his knowledge about a subject. As he posts more and more positive information, it lessens the chance that potential employers or college admissions counselors will find negative material.

After you help your teen clean his online profile, Sarrel suggest giving him this guideline to follow: “Every time you post something, start by saying, ‘Is this something I want my mother to see?’”