I started
thinking about integrity and all the electronic forms of communication we
engage in today, be it informal Facebook messaging or "formal" work
emails. So many successful, professional
adults have made some really serious mistakes using electronic forms of
communication. These mistakes can show
lapses in judgment and even lack of integrity.
When this happens, the general public is ready to be the judge and the
jury. We want to know all the dirt and
some even go to unethical extents, even violating privacy, to obtain the
scandalous details.
Our society has become obsessed with these scandalous stories, almost seeking them out at times. But when we find them, we are so very judgmental and almost believe that we were entitled to that information. The truth is, when people choose to be in the public spotlight they are taking the risk that their personal life and decisions could be become public. Also, as a society we hold those we elect to public office to a higher moral standard. I get that, but my point is people make mistakes in their personal life and that doesn't unequivocally mean they aren't good at their job. Does it?
For example, former CIA Director David Patraeus resigned after email messages were discovered that showed he was having an extra-marital affair. Patraeus was a highly decorated four-star general who served more than 37 years in the United States Army. Numerous senators, governors, and congressman have been caught in email and texting scandals as well. So have school principals and other figures who we expect will not make the same mistakes we do. Here is some food for thought. These people made these decisions when they were adults, with a professional career, and knew that scandals could potentially damage their careers. Can you imagine if Facebook had been around when these people were in college?
Well, I am 26-years-old and Facebook started when I was in college. What is going to happen when people my age begin running for public office or become elementary school principals or run for President? We have been essentially documenting our lives from a very young age, from an age when we were not thinking about running for public office someday, from an age when we didn’t think a whole lot about the consequences of our actions. Can you imagine the kinds of things that will be exposed about people when my generation begins stepping into these high visibility professions? We might think twice about how judgmental we are or how important privacy is. How is my generation going to be affected by our Facebook documentaries...every bad decision and questionable photo?
