Woes of Facebook Profile Pictures
By Arienne Calingo
Almost everyone has heard the stories of problematic profile pictures: A 24-year-old public high school teacher who is forced to resign from her position because of a Facebook photo of her holding an alcoholic beverage.
Or two Pizza Hut employees fired over vulgar pictures that displayed one of the workers licking a whisk that was used to mix the dough, along with photos of the employees posing with sexual intent as they grasped food.
Many people have seen other incriminating profile pictures too: the group of hardcore party animals who pose together holding the emblem of college partying — the generic red plastic cup, or the girl who is fastidiously photoshopped and acne-free , or the kissing couple that frequently fills up your News Feed with their awkward public displays of affection.
The influence that profile pictures can have on our feelings and thoughts about others are rather prominent, especially since your profile picture is generally the first thing that people notice on your page or glimpse at in a thumbnail.
The most common mistake I have observed on Facebook is when a user sets an image of him or herself either drinking or smoking as his or her profile picture. Although such a picture may score the user more popularity points, it can ultimately tarnish his or her chances of ever obtaining his dream job.
In spite of the belief that it is unjust, or possibly even illegal for employers to "Facebook stalk" potential employees, it is common knowledge that employers do choose to check out Facebook profiles and, like others, they form assumptions about their potential or already hired employees solely by browsing their pictures. Indeed, the social role that profile pictures can play is crucial in peoples employment and personal life.
Along with profile pictures that suggest or advocate illegal activity, another pet peeve of mine — albeit one I have been guilty of in the past — is when a user (usually female) overly airbrushes her face or does extensive amounts of Photoshop, fiddling with her body to the point that she looks as genuine as her fake tan. No one should ever look that plastic in a profile picture.
Though a profile picture of someone who has excessively edited herself is not necessarily deemed as sleazy, trashy or inappropriate, it can denote that the user feels insecure about her natural features.
Yes, it may be reasonable to remove a pimple or two. Yes, if I were you, I would also attempt to erase that seaweed in between your two front teeth after eating Benson's delectable sushi rolls. However, to create a portrait that appears to look like a different person truly exudes insecurity.
Lastly, profile pictures of kissing couples can, in the long run, stir regret. It is understandable for married couples to feature profile pictures of them sharing a smooch, but if a couple has been in a relationship for less than a year, and the couple uploads pictures of them kissing, that may be problematic.
What if the couple breaks up? And what if the break up is disastrous?
On the other hand, pictures of couples can be a breath of fresh air among all the negative portrayals of intimacy and relationships found in society.
To those of you who have pictures of yourselves drinking or smoking on Facebook, my primary hope is that you consider deleting them. To the ladies who fancy the plethora of possibilities that Photoshop offers, I encourage you to simply be yourself because you are beautiful. To the couples out there, ask yourself how long you have been together before posting an intimate photo. Or, you can just show each other love via Facebook chat. That works, too.
Arienne Calingo is a sophomore religious studies major.