1 in 4 young people regret posts on social media

TORONTO – Regret posting that rant about your job on Facebook; wish you didn’t tweet about your hangover at work? You’re not alone.

According to a new study, one in four young people believe they have posted something online that will later come back to haunt them in their personal and professional lives.

The survey conducted by legal information website FindLaw.com found that 29 per cent of social media users between the ages of 18 and 34 have posted a photo, tweet, status update, or other post that they fear would have a potential employer looking for another candidate.

The same demographic worried that their current employer would give them the boot over things they have posted on their social network.

Twenty-one per cent of users reported experiencing a “social media hangover” which caused them to delete posts due to concerns of workplace repercussions.

“The drawback is that many comments, photos and other information may not be looked upon favorably by employers. And taking down or removing a post or photo may not be enough; as the information may continue to live on in other parts of the Internet,” said Stephanie Rahlfs, an attorney-editor with FindLaw.com, in a press release.

“It’s best to assume anything that you post could live on the Internet forever, and to think accordingly before hitting the ‘Post’ button.”

The survey asked 1,000 American adults about their usage on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Tumblr.

The study did find, however, that the majority of participants were being cautious about their privacy settings. According to the data, 82 per cent of users said they pay attention to their privacy settings and only six per cent admitted to using the default settings on their profiles.

Read More: Tips on how to clean up your privacy settings on Facebook