Are We Being Spied On?

I would have to say no. Potential employers are not "spying" on potential job applicants. They are merely trying to establish a more credible interpretation of who they are considering as an employee. Businesses are looking for individuals who will present themselves professionally within their company. It would look very bad for a business to hire someone who experiments with drugs and alcohol or involved in any illegal activities. I am not one to judge, but if you allow yourself or others to post pictures of yourself that you don't want employers to see than you are simply setting yourself up for disappointment. If you do participate in these types of activities just change your settings so no one can see them or don't post them at all. There are settings that don't show pictures of yourself when being tagged in someone's photos. Maybe you shouldn't be doing these activities to begin with. Businesses are trying to find the best candidate for the job. They are not looking for someone careless and irresponsible. They want an employee who will put forth maximum effort into their work and not jeopardize themselves or the company. If you wish to post incriminating photos of yourself than the employers have the right to be checking them. If you didn't have anything to hide than there would be no problem with them checking. We should be more conscious of how we portray ourselves on the internet if we wish to be seen as respectable, responsible and professional individuals. Those of us who have nothing to hide, or at least know how to, take the correct steps to further our professional careers in the university and in the job market.