Over the past few years, the internet has become a major part of today's society. This all started with the growth of the internet in the late twentieth century to early twenty-first century (Fountain, 2005). By the year two thousand, forty percent of the American households had internet access in their homes (Fountain, 2005).  From here, internet sites began to arise which allowed individuals to fill out applications online and be screened without ever having to leave their own homes (Fountain, 2005).  This led to the creation of social media. From Snapchat to Twitter to Instagram and hundreds more, the use of social media is growing rapidly.  It has become an integral part in everyday lives.  Eighty-nine percent of potential employees using social media daily and this number continues to grow (Smith, 2013).  Sites such as Facebook and Twitter are seeing almost a billion users and is growing steadily still (Stollack, 2014).  Little things such as business cards having become obsolete to sites such as LinkedIn, making face to face communication almost extinct (Stollack, 2014).  Now and days most interviews can even be found going through FaceTime, Oovoo, or even Skype instead of face to face interviews between a candidate and the employer. With all the technology growing so advanced, face to face communication has gone from being something found on a daily basis to many being able to work from home never having a physical contact when it comes to their work day. With the increase of social media use by the public, companies have also began checking their employees or potential employees social media pages. Today, about forty percent of companies are looking at their potential employee's social media sites (Smith, 2013).  By looking at the ethics behind searching social media pages, it can be seen that the company is doing this to put a truthful, honest employer on their payroll. This is important because with the use of social media pages so high, having a company give a good first impression can lead to better production and overall satisfaction from customers in the long run. Some people argue that checking on social media is unethical because of the use of time and money, the use of fake accounts, and the fact that it can contribute to bias; however, it can be seen that the checking of social media pages is ethical because it ensures companies that the potential employee's resume lines up with social media pages, it allows potential employees to know what caused the termination of their application, and teaches them how to prevent this from happening again in the future. 

Some people like to argue the idea that checking social media is unethical by stating the negativity that comes with it. For example, one popular argument is that companies are more focused on the social media of their employees than they are their company (Kumar, 2015). This is leads to what some say to be a waste of time and money (Kumar, 2015). However, companies check social media pages to insure the individuals working for it reflect the company in a positive manner. Another example can be seen when individuals create fake accounts to hide information from the company or employer so  they cannot see the social media pages of their employees (Kumar, 2015). The point trying to be made is that there is no reason to monitor employee's social media pages because employees are going to find any way possible to dodge their pages being searched by their employer. However, this is invalid because once something has been posted to the internet, it can not be removed. Even if the potential candidate tries to remove the inappropriate post, it can still be found by employers.  This means that there is no real way to avoid someone seeing something online. Thus, there is no completely accurate way for an employee to keep his or her social media private from a potential employer. A second issue many seem to find is the issue of bias. The searching of social media could bring up different points of view in race or politics which could lead to a company not following the Equal Employment Opportunity (Kumar, 2015). However, this point make no sense. Companies are responsible for the actions of their employees. If an employee has issues on their social media pages, this reflects the company itself as well as the individual. The company is responsible for the individual because they hired them. Also, due to the Equal Employment Opportunity Act, companies are not allowed any bias when going through social media. This means they cannot judge anyone of their race or religion. In general, although people try and argue the idea that businesses checking social media is unethical, the people who argue this fail to look past their own viewpoints in order to realize the logic behind checking the websites. 

            One reason why social media checks should be deemed ethical is because of how common it is for people to lie or exaggerate on their resumes. Additionally, with more fake profiles emerging, background checks have grown to include checking social media to ensure potential candidates or employees are not lying.  Employers give background checks due to federal laws, terrorist acts, or false credentials to ensure that the potential candidate that they may be hiring is an overall well-rounded, truthful person ("Fact Sheet 16: Employment Background Checks: A Jobseeker's Guide", 2016).  A background check contains criminal records, past employers, credit records, drug tests, social media sites, etc. to give a company the best possible information to make a decision about their potential candidate ("Fact Sheet 16: Employment Background Checks: A Jobseeker's Guide", 2016).  Jobs that involve children or the elderly are more likely to require a background check than others, but many jobs now-a-days are automatically requiring these background checks ("Fact Sheet 16: Employment Background Checks: A Jobseeker's Guide", 2016). By conducting these background checks, companies are given even more information to find the best possible employee for the job opening. Without background checks, more lying and cheating of the system would occur, causing the companies to not put their best employees in the field. . Therefore, the social media checks are done in order to give everyone the chance to be the best they can be. Background checks on social media lead to a better employee group which leads to a better company which is better for economy and everyone in the long run. Thus, it is ethical to use the background checks on social media because it helps the most amount of people.  

           Another reason why the use of social media websites as a background check is ethical is because it raises the moral standards of present and future employees while also allowing past employees to learn from their mistakes. For example, Matt Watson, a 30-year-old man, lost his job at All City Coffee because of posts he made on social media (Lacitis, 2013).  Watson wrote on his blog "'I like to use a lot of big words when I tweet, that way if my boss ever finds my twitter account, he won't understand any of it'" (Lacitis, 2013).  This along with many other derogatory post were found on his page leading to his termination from the coffee company (Lacitis, 2013).  Two men found Watson's blog and reported it to his boss (Lacitis, 2013). This examples goes to show that even after being hired that social media can still have an effect on your job. Had he not posted on social media, he would still have a job. This can be used as an example for future employees because they can see why he was fired and know that that kind of behavior is not acceptable. However, Watson is not the only person to make this mistake. Data has been found that eleven percent of employers have had to fire someone over an inappropriate post they may have written about their place of work (Reyes, 2014). A Denver math teacher, Carly McKinney was placed on leave after a Twitter account was found with posts about weed as well as inappropriate photos (Broderick, 2013). After deliberation, the women was fired because of her inappropriate actions just like Watson, the barista. (Broderick, 2013). From this article, we learned that even the smallest of posts can end up hurting an individual so much to the point of getting fired from your job. If the employees would have kept this information to themselves and off social media, both individuals would have had the chance in keeping their jobs.  This ties back into how a post on social media can never really be deleted. When a employer has to fire an employee for inappropriate actions it leads them to rehire a potential candidate that does not have this issue raising the standards of their resume and social media pages. The new employee will have learned from the mistakes of the former, thus creating a work environment with moral standards that are higher overall. 

            Although many candidates do not even know that their pages are being looked at and broken apart when they are applying for jobs, the reality is that "hiring managers will use any publicly available information to learn more about [a person]" whether that information is good or bad (Lipschultz, nd).  They will use social media pages as well as any friends that a person may have (Vanderkam, nd). Knowing that social media websites are being looked at by employers, it is important to understand the reasons that prevent these employers from hiring a person. California University of Pennsylvania's Career and Professional Development Center created a list reasons why employers disregarded a certain applicant because of what they found on social media. These points include candidates with poor communication skills, lying about qualifications, inappropriate photos or information on these sites, and anything about drinking or drugs that may have been posted ("How Social Networking Sites Affect Your Job Search.", nd).  Having inappropriate, unnecessary information on a social media page makes it look like a person is "letting it all hang out" to any potential employers (Snagajob, 2015). It is seen as unprofessional to have a social media page flooded with that kind of post. Additionally, it is seen that people bad mouthing any previous employers sometimes. This shows that a person is not really dedicated to his or her job and it will leave the company wondering why it is even worth it to hire (Snagajob, 2015).  Finally, before any interview, stalking the company is not a good idea (Snagajob, 2015). This could lead to unwanted information coming out in the interview and lead to a very awkward situation (Snagajob, 2015). The goal is for none of these scenarios to be found on any social media pages or found during an interview. Especially considering the fact that once something is posted on the internet, it is on there for good. The information can still be found even if the post is deleted. 

              In order to avoid incidents like the one stated above from happening, measurements can be taken to keep social media pages clean and presentable to potential employers. Keeping social media pages clean lets potential employers know that a person is serious about wanting to apply for a specific job (Vanderkam, nd). In order to do this, one should remove any inappropriate photos, utilize higher privacy settings, and remove any posts about previous jobs that could be seen as inappropriate. This is also known as not letting it all hang out (Snagajob, 2015).  Putting privacy settings on the highest settings also prevents any friends, family, coworkers, etc. from posting anything that may not be see appropriate for social media pages (Snagajob, 2015). It is also suggested that a person not be invisible online either (Vanderkam, nd). Having a LinkedIn or a blog will show employers that a person is ready and mature enough for the job (Vanderkam, nd).  Others suggest that by posting interesting articles about the work industry or pictures with friends from events can promote a person as the best product available and give that person a one up on the competition (Lipschultz, nd). It is always important to ask the questions "Would your mother approve" or "Would my next boss approve" when deciding to post another picture or tweet on the internet (Lipschultz, nd). Also, the social media pages can be advantageous (Snagajob, 2015).  Use friends to determine if places are hiring (Snagajob, 2015). By taking the following steps, It becomes easier to but the best foot forward when entering into the job market craziness that candidates are predicted to face.  

            In general, employers are looking for the overall well rounded employee. California University of Pennsylvania gave reasons on why employers hired applicants based off of what they found during the social media screenings. Employers seem to be looking for candidates who are creative, well-rounded, and have good references while still acting very professional on these pages ("How Social Networking Sites Affect Your Job Search.", nd).  This will portray good communication skills and any awards or professional qualifications given while portraying the candidate to be the most well rounded potential employee while still giving off a professional look ("How Social Networking Sites Affect Your Job Search.", nd). It also helps to be selective of friends on social media websites ("How Social Networking Sites Affect Your Job Search.", nd). Many companies will look at friends to see how they influence a potential employee. Also, having a page that shows every aspect of his or her life or personality will help get a person a job as well. It allows employers to see a candidate as a well rounded person. For example, showing love for dogs and sports in a  profile feed is okay because it shows a caring, determined person who is well rounded overall. Having all of the items listed above gives a person a higher chance of getting the job compared to a candidate who has information on his or her page that is not appropriate for the potential job that is being applied for.             

Overall, the ethics behind social media pages being checked are to ensure the company is hiring the best man for the job and are putting their best face out into the world. Social media checking is just one part of the piece when it comes to this. By searching the pages, companies are able to ensure that the employee they plan to pick is right for the job they applied for. It also allows potential candidates to learn why their pages are inappropriate and what changes could be made to accounts to improve their chances of being hired even though the information cannot be deleated.  Without checking social media pages, mistakes that could affect the entire company as a whole could be made affecting the majority of the company or America as a whole. 

