The Dreaded Social Media

[Lorelions]

So, I'll start off by saying that I'm a nursing student and a dancer (like ballet dancer). I've danced my whole life, and in the past two years I've taken up aerial silk and pole dancing (just as a "for fun" thing) in addition to the classics. What I'm looking for is thoughts on posting my pole dancing pictures on Facebook. I love putting my dance pictures up because it's a HUGE part of my life, and I'd really like to include the pole dancing pictures as well, but I'm concerned about future potential employers looking at them as a negative thing. They're nothing lewd ... I'm always in shorts and a tank top, and it's clear that I'm in my house when they're taken, but I'm just not sure. Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks!

[JustBeachyNurse, LPN]

Yet another vote "no". Privacy settings will not protect you either from employers or predators. Save them for private offline sharing.

When I was hired by a corrections company some years back, they actually required us to give them our social media passwords so that they could monitor employees' accounts. I would not be surprised at a similar requirement for any job connected to law enforcement or national or industrial security.

i believe that was litigated in recent months and it was determined to be an illegal request by employers to demand personal social media passwords

[CraigB-RN, MSN, RN]

That is correct. They can know the accounts but they aren't allowed to require passwords. Even Uncle Sam who maintains my security clearance doesn't have access to those accounts. (not that they would need me to provide them anyway)