For A Job Applicant's Facebook Password Is Fair Game By Alfred Edmond Jr.

1003 Words3 Pages

Facebook: An Illusion of Privacy
Ever since Mark Zuckerberg created Facebook in 2004, millions of people have flocked to the website, resulting in “1.49 billion active users” (Facebook). Facebook allows users to not only reconnect with old friends, but also share whatever the user deems necessary. Facebook has many privacy settings that enable users to prevent anyone from seeing what they post. Even so, skeptics out in the world strongly attest that Facebook, and similar social media websites, aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. In the essay Why Asking for a Job Applicant’s Facebook Password Is Fair Game, Alfred Edmond Jr. addresses the false security Facebook provides to its users, and uses that notion to support his claim that bosses should …show more content…

uses logos strongly by providing not only his viewpoint from a business perspective, but also a conceding viewpoint that works in his favor. Edmond references work that involves children, and claims that “the hiring process” of such employees is the most ethically sound time to discover if the prospective hires engage in “inappropriate social media communication with minors” (Edmond Jr. 133). Typically, in the hiring process, a background check is done on the prospective employee. However, a background check won’t necessarily reveal if they commit undesirable behaviors in their private lives. Therefore, Edmond strengthens his logos immensely by referencing a particular scenario where his claim works. Edmond also addresses individuals who believe that having access to an employee’s Facebook is a “horrible invasion of privacy” by stating that sharing personal information on Facebook is similar to “shouting your private business” in public (Edmond Jr. 134). In his comparison, Edmond reveals to his audience that sharing on Facebook can have harsh side-effects, as would shouting in the street. Since Edmond is able to reference a contingent argument and still get his point across, his logos receives another boost. Logos acts as an essential part in Edmond’s essay, and works efficiently to prove his …show more content…

For instance, Edmond asks his audience to consider the concept “public vs. private” before sharing anything on social media (Edmond Jr. 134). Encouraging the audience to think, rather than just follow what others in society do, causes them to feel like the author, Edmond Jr., is looking out for their best interests. Edmond’s statement supports his purpose by reiterating that the Internet is not safe, and truly private details should not be shared. Overall, he succeeds in convincing his audience of the general public that they should be cautious in regards to what they post on the world wide

Open Document