Can Facebook Cause You to Lose Face?

Is a picture really worth a thousand words? That's up for debate, but for one woman, a picture was worth thousands of dollars as she lost health benefits for her clinical depression because of Facebook photos that showed her having "fun". Is an employer really qualified, and does it have the right, to diagnose or misdiagnose a medical or psychological condition based on its own criteria?

While I fully understand calling out a scam when you see the woman who claimed a neck injury doing aerobics in her living room, or the guy who swears he's in bed with the flu rocking it out with face paint at the hockey game. In these cases, the deception is clear-cut and obvious (unless the man came down with a case of the miraculous 20-minute flu bug!) But the woman in question posted images to her Facebook profile that showed her at her own birthday party, and on a beach soaking it up while on vacation. And...gulp...was she also...smiling? So what? While at first glance, this would most certainly raise a big, red flag, should the insurance company have so simply inferred that "hmm, she must be OK now?" In the legal world, could this not be likened to hearsay?

I've seen plenty of photos of people who look like they're happy, sad, or even mad at the time; yet the real emotion was exactly the opposite. Going to a birthday party or on vacation doesn't mean the woman is happy. Does she need to be closeted up in her bedroom with a pack of tissues, a TV dinner, and some bon-bons to really be considered depressed? If she had posted such photos, would that have been used as proof that yes, she must be depressed? What if the woman's doctor had urged her to do those things, and share her experiences, in order to help with the condition? Wouldn't it be logical for the insurance company to consult with the woman's psychologist? Perhaps request she get a second opinion from another psychologist, appointed by the insurance company, before continuing the payouts?

Apparently, the insurance company implies that other factors led to the termination of the woman's payments, and it would never base such a decision solely on such "proof". Perhaps there were. But the company does admit to trolling the Interwebs for information that could aid in cases like this one.

Still, from a social networking standpoint, there is a line that has to be drawn between making valid conclusions from clear-cut evidence, and just devising one's own conclusion based on content that can, and is, clearly up for interpretation.

This leads to the even bigger issue of privacy online and the workplace. Anyone who posts controversial or compromising information online is taking the advantages of social networking a little too far into disadvantage territory. Think about this: many employers surf the most popular social networking Websites or "Google" potential job candidates to find out more about them prior to hiring or interview selection. If they make a decision not to hire you or call you for an interview based on the apparent heavy drinking habits and smoking depicted in your photos, your political views, or choice in music, well, chances are you'd never know this was the reason. But the sad fact is that it could, and likely does, happen. What's more, once you're employed, will an employer terminate you for finding out that you post negative comments about the company on a profile? Probably.

Some would argue the best way to ensure that none of this happens is to just stay away from social networking altogether. But this really isn't the answer. If it were so simple, we'd all stay away from computers and e-mail as well, because of the risk for viruses and hackers. If used properly and with caution, social networking can be a very valuable tool. In fact, I'll bet many employers are happy to find a potential hire actively involved in social networking. In any business where computer skills are required (which is most these days), knowing that a person has the know-how to have created and maintain an online profile is a bonus. And if the hiring party can't get in to see your pictures because your security settings are so air tight, score one for you because it shows a high level of tech-savviness, foresight, and just plain common sense.