Close to one young person out of 10 may have been unable to be hired due to comments or photos published on social networks This is what an international study conducted by the English research institute On Device Research found.
Publishing an offensive comment on Twitter, a compromising photo on Facebook or a dubious video on Youtube can quickly have repercussions in the professional sphere. According to the study conducted by On Device Research among young people aged 16 to 34 years in six different countries*, 8% of them have been rejected by an employer due to the content of their profile on social networks. The trend is highest in China with 15% of young people involved.
For personal use
Currently, respondents didn’t seem to have been aware of the impact of their words online. Again according to the study, two thirds of them had no idea that their behaviour on Facebook or Twitter could have an impact on their career. For the majority, their use of social networks is primarily personal. And even when it comes to changing their online presence, it's more meant to present a better image to their friends than to their potential employers. Finally, even though their behaviour on social networks can influence their professional future, 65% of the young people interviewed are not prepared to stop using them.
* United States, Great Britain, Nigeria, India, Brazil, China