how risky is it to post about politics on social media?

by Alison Green on February 25, 2025

A reader writes:

Am I shooting myself in the foot by engaging politically in a public way on social media? And how should I weigh the pros and cons? Will a future employer even check for my social media, and if so, what will they think? Can I just temporarily disable my social media during the job search, and will that be sufficient?

I am currently in a full-time graduate program (middle career going back to school) and expect to be applying for jobs when I finish in about three years. The types of jobs I would apply for are mainly in academia (meaning I would also probably apply for government grants to fund my research at such a job). If that doesn’t pan out, I would look at government research posts or independent research roles like think-tanks. And if those don’t pan out, I would likely go into an industry role.

I am very concerned about the actions of the current administration, and I occasionally post my thoughts on social media. I use a respectful tone, but people who like the direction of the current administration would and do express disagreement with my views. I try to respond thoughtfully to any comments, or if I cannot think of a reasonably kind way to respond, I don’t reply. For example, I have posted reputable articles describing the way NIH funding is being cut and expressed that I think this is harmful to the future of critical health research. For another example, I posted that I think people can disagree on the right steps for responding to the war between Russia and Ukraine, but I will not be tricked into forgetting the facts of how it started, and I included a 2022 news article from a mainstream right-leaning news source that states Russia initiated an invasion of Ukraine.

Philosophically, I think that people who show cowardice when the stakes are fairly low are unlikely to suddenly become brave when the stakes matter more, so in that regard, I don’t want to kowtow to this administration or make decisions in fear, especially because being a student is probably the most freedom I’ll ever have to express my views. If things were to become truly authoritarian, I would like to be the kind of person who would stand up for what is right, even if there were consequences, and I think this is a small way of taking a stand now. Also, to be clear, social media is not the only thing I do — I also call my legislators with some regularity, and I am involved in my community. I guess I don’t want to be known for staying silent towards injustice, but I also don’t want to be needlessly reckless with my career fighting windmills. What do you think?

To answer your first questions: Yes, you should assume future employers may check your social media. Yes, some of them may have opinions about your posts and it’s possible you won’t be hired because of some of the opinions you’ve expressed there. (That is very much a thing that is happening at this particular moment for the types of jobs you’re interested in.) It will probably be enough to lock down your social media during a job search, but that’s not guaranteed; posts get forwarded, reposted, and saved in places you might not account for. (And at any point Elon could spontaneously decide to make all Twitter data fully public, etc. etc.)

If you want a fully risk-free approach to social media’s intersection with your future job searches, the most cautious approach is not to post about politics. On the other hand, if you see social media as essentially a town square, that’s asking you to opt out of public dialogue in a way that you might not be comfortable with.

I tend to think that there are many more effective ways to stand up for what’s right than posting on social media (and it’s good that you’re already doing some of those) and that not talking about politics on social media doesn’t mean you’re staying silent in the face of injustice — as long as you’re not staying silent in other parts of life — but it also depends on what kind of platform you have and who you’re engaging with. Everyone has to sort through that calculation for themselves and decide what feels right to them.

To help you do that calculation: the risk is not nothing and there are ways to mitigate it ahead of a job search if you want to (like removing past postings and locking down your socials), but those mitigation measures aren’t 100% reliable.

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{ 110 comments }

{ 110 comments… read them below or add one }

  1. a bright young reporter with a point of view*

    There is also the option to have social media accounts that aren’t tied to your identity at all. I have a facebook, but all my others have an online persona that very few people know is me. And frankly, I think that’s the way to do it unless you specifically need to have socmed for your career.

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    1. ArchivesPony*

      That’s me! haha. All of my social media is under a name that’s really ambiguous and only my FB (which is locked down and really safe public posts from years ago). Part of the reason I did that was I did have a stalker but also I wanted to talk about stuff without people finding out and telling my parents. So I don’t put my location (unless it’s general like US or Midwest) or talk about specifics what I do, other than my title).

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      1. AnotherOne*

        Most of my friends and I have our social media accounts under our first and middle names. It means you can’t just search for us but we can find each other- and people who know us and see us as a suggestion will go ‘oh that person.’

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    2. Minty*

      This is what I do too. Social media accounts that have my legal name on them are locked down, friends-only, etc. The accounts that are public don’t have my legal name or my main email address. Keeping your online and offline lives separate is great, I highly recommend it.

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      1. a bright young reporter with a point of view*

        My tumblr friends can know my AO3 or bsky, but they can’t know my real name. My real life friends can’t know my tumblr or AO3. That’s how I like it.

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    3. Miss Chanandler Bong*

      You can actually create secondary Facebook profiles now that don’t have your real name. You still should be cautious because they’re tied to your main profile, but someone would really have to go digging in order to find out information about you.

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      1. LaurCha*

        … unless Bezos decides to make all Meta data public. He’s not as unpredictable as Musk but he’s no more trustworthy.

        Related: I cannot tell you how irritated I am to use the phrase “Meta data” when it doesn’t mean “metadata.”

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        2. Beany*

          I hated it when people started talking about “cyber” as a noun rather than just a prefix — this may have exploded around the 2020 or even 2016 Presidential elections.

          Recently, I’ve been hearing the same thing with some other IT-related prefix, but it’s mercifully slipped my mind for the moment.

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    4. Rosyglasses*

      Was coming here to say this as well — especially when I was doing more active front line protesting, I really locked down anything under false names and identities. Not to say that is 100% fool-proof, but it can be helpful.

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    5. Mothwing*

      Maybe it’s because I’m old people and grew up on forums and stuff, but I think it’s super weird that people tie their online presence to their “real” identities. It used to be standard that you didn’t tell people your real name, where you lived, or identifying information online, and now you’re expected to do all of those? And you’re supposed to tell potential employers about what websites you use? Where does it end? Do you need to show your employer your fanfiction archive? Your DeviantArt account from when you were 14?

      Yeah. Keep your online identity separate from your real one. And if asked about your social media, just say, “I don’t use any.” It’s fine!

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  2. HigherEd Boundaries*

    In addition to locking down your account (like making it private or adjusting the settings) you can also adjust your handle/account name so it doesn’t look like it’s you. Things like First Name/Middle Name, or Middle Name/Last Name, and again locking it down so only friends or friends of friends can see it.

    You’ll have to do a lot of legwork by looking into the platform privacy settings for each account, but I also recognize the community that is happening on social media right now, and how engaging in it can be helpful.

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    1. ArchivesPony*

      Yep. When Instagram required more than just a username, I just used my first initial, which a super common first initial for a first name. Plus my username, that unless you know me personally would every tie to me.

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  3. I should really pick a name*

    If you’re posting stuff on public social media, it’s worth asking yourself if it’s actually accomplishing anything.

    There is a lot of noise out there, and there’s not much compelling reason to listen to a random voice on the internet.

    If you’re posting things where it can only be seen by people you’ve friended, you remove a lot of risk of employers finding it, AND there’s a significantly higher chance of people listening to what you say, because they’ve explicitly opted in to hear your opinions.

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    2. owen*

      but on the other hand, if you’re posting things where it can only be seen by people you’ve friended, it will only be seen most likely by people who already agree with you… so for the ‘speaking out’ part, it’s not really effective.

      plus there is increased risk of creating an echo chamber

      not to mention, things escape ‘private’ friend group channels all the time and can still potentially be located. it does decrease the risk of a future employer finding it, but it does not eliminate it

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      1. I should really pick a name*

        Actually, people sometimes find out that their friend groups aren’t as aligned on topics as they thought they were.

        I haven’t found public “speaking out” to be particularly effective. I’ve rarely seen it change minds.

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        1. Lenora Rose*

          It rarely changes minds *in the moment*; people don’t tend to flip all at once. It’s not how we’re made. And we struggle, often visibly, if given information that runs counter to our existing opinions.

          That doesn’t mean putting more opinion out there is ineffective. What it is, is cumulative.

          A person whose mind wasn’t changed when they ran into one statement might still remember it, and remember the next , and the next many moments, and learn over time. It’s a part of how people get radicalized to the right, for once; it’s been studied. AND it’s how people end up joining equity movements. And we can’t pretend we and we alone are immune, because we’re not.

          I made a conscious choice of who I followed, and to actively choose to follow more and more Black and Indigenous and LGBTQIA and generally strongly leftist voices, usually further to that direction than I am, specifically because if I’m going to be influenced into an opinion by those around me, I would rather be pushed further into positions that offer more compassion to others, not less.

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          1. Dasein9 (he/him)*

            Yes. It also does make a big deal for members of targeted groups to see people speaking up for them. I’ve personally known young people who chose more hopeful paths in life (education, addiction counseling) after seeing people speak up for LGBTQ+ rights on social media, for instance. Their upbringing and communities made a good life seem impossible and they nearly gave up until they saw the real possibilities available.

            Social media isn’t just chatting with friends; it’s profoundly affected how we communicate and form community and we’re only just starting to learn how it works. Predators are taking advantage of that but they won’t have the upper hand forever.

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        2. Annony*

          I think it depends on what you count as “speaking out”. Posting opinions and feelings generally doesn’t do much. Posting facts sometimes does. I have seen people change their minds when they learn details. For example, hearing about specific projects being cut or specific people loosing their jobs makes it more “real” and less abstract. It gives “efficiency” a face instead of simply a numbers game. People don’t feel attacked and are more likely to absorb the new information and that type of post is less risky because neither side should be afraid of facts (and if a job doesn’t want to hire me for posting facts, I really don’t want that job).

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    3. Ally McBeal*

      Yeah, I got really mad last week about the attempt to gut the 9/11 Survivors’ Fund and had a post all written out before I realized that I only really wanted one person to see it because she irritates the crap out of me with all her “I voted for the pro-life candidate” garbage… so I thought better of it and quit the app instead of posting it.

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    4. LaurCha*

      I don’t post to change minds or promote my “platform.” I seek comfort and comradeship and knowledge-sharing with my like-minded friends. A lot of people do that, especially those of us in deep red states whose like-minded friends are far away. I don’t care if it’s “accomplishing anything” on the large scale. I’m socializing. With my friends. And my friends and I? We talk about politics and art and history and law and current events and music and food and whatever else.

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      1. I should really pick a name*

        So it sounds like it makes sense to share things with your like-minded friends instead of publically.

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      2. RunShaker*

        Based on my own experience, whatever I had posted didn’t change anyone’s mind but oh my, the few that just wanted to argue and be internet trolls. I ended up signing petitions, contacting my congress people and of course voting. I also work for a conservative company and am client facing so I am concerned about someone recognizing me.

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      3. SadandScared*

        I feel thes ame way. It can be reassuring knowing you’re not the only one who holds certain views. People always make fun of AITA posts from someone who is clearly NTA, but sometimes if you find yourself in a situation where you have multiple people around you insisting the sky is red, getting feedback from neutral third parties can be helpful.

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      4. Tea Monk*

        Yea sometimes I’m just shooting the shit. It hurts to hear all this anti blackness and I like being able to vent a little. I mostly talk about my hobbies which aren’t safe for work either. I nevet understood having your real name online

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    5. OP*

      My main motivation has been to raise awareness among my personal network of friends about what’s happening. I just confirmed my privacy settings on FB and am set to only allow friends to view my posts, although they are shareable by those friends (mostly I post articles with a brief thought, so it seems like they usually share the original article with their own thoughts). I have a politically diverse network, and our media ecosystems are so isolated right now! I try to glance at news sources across the political spectrum, and if something seems questionable or over-confirms my preconceived view, I check it in another reputable, more balanced source (for example, confirming things from NYT in Reuters and Associated Press), but I know most folks don’t necessarily see multiple sources.

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      1. Mentally Spicy*

        I believe that on Facebook if your posts are set to “friends only” they cannot be shared outside of that group. Although of course that doesn’t prevent people screenshotting your posts and sharing them publicly.

        More importantly, however, I think it’s a good time to reflect that most social media is run by billionaires who have shown a worrying tendency to court the current administration. Trusting Zuckerberg to keep your posts private is perhaps not the best idea right now. These platforms are not neutral “town halls” where your speech is welcomed and protected. They are highly profitable private businesses run by billionaires with capricious motives.

        I hear good things about Bluesky.

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      2. The Unspeakable Queen Lisa*

        I don’t think you’re using the word balance correctly. You seem to be using it in the Fox News sense. There is no such thing as a balanced view on many topics: gravity, evolution, a round Earth, just to name a few. Starting from the premise that there must be “another valid viewpoint” is how we got to where we are now.

        I also think you are misusing preconceived. If you have reached an opinion after thought and assessing your personal values, that’s fine and good. Reading and sharing an article that agrees with you isn’t a problem. Be open to new ideas, sure, but you don’t need to go seeking invalidation of each of your own opinions to “prove” that you’re unbiased. You’re not. It’s okay to be biased. That’s what having an opinion is.

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      3. T.N.H*

        I wouldn’t trust your privacy settings to do much, unfortunately. There are AI bots that scan your social on behalf of companies and get just about everything.

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    6. Salty Caramel*

      It depends on what you’re posting, really. FB ditched fact-checking, so it’s important to do it yourself, for example. If I say, “X did Y,” and then say why I don’t like it, I’m going to point to an article, a publication, or in the case of Congress, the site showing the votes.

      Solidarity is important too. For some people it is simply not safe to speak out, so showing them there are people behind them does accomplish something.

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    7. learnedthehardway*

      I’m not sure how much it will change anything, but it is definitely INFORMING my American in-laws about my views. None of them will be in any way in the dark, for example, that Canadians do NOT want to be part of the United States, and will resist by any and every means necessary – whether that’s boycotting American products (already happening), tariffs, etc. etc. etc. Some people are enlisting in the military. Personally, I’m seriously considering re-enlisting in the Reserves – if they can use a somewhat out of shape medic, I’m there.

      FYI – the vast majority of Canadians are absolutely ENRAGED by the mere suggestion that the USA would annex our country, by the way. So – again, using social media to inform people who might not otherwise know.

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  4. ScreamingBeagle*

    If you’re inclined to post things on social media, could you use the time and energy to write to a rep or congress person instead? Less risk, more impact.

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    2. juliebulie*

      OP said:

      Also, to be clear, social media is not the only thing I do — I also call my legislators with some regularity, and I am involved in my community.

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      1. ScreamingBeagle*

        That’ll teach me to skim the last paragraph. In any case, I still think doing literally anything else would be more productive unless OP has some kind of platform.

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    4. Dinwar*

      Is the “less risk” part true, though?

      The reality is that federal work includes a huge section of the economy–many people work as contractors for the government. And many of the decisions being made right now have profound impacts on those contractors. By writing to one’s congresscritters one would by definition be attempting to manipulate available funding, which is generally considered a bad thing. However, not objecting to some of the things going on now is also considered bad (silence is support). And it’s not clear to me that one must abdicate political activities merely because one has a job.

      At what point does that create an apparent or actual conflict of interest?

      Please note that I’m not (for once) discussing the moral aspect of it. Opposition to tyranny is proper even if you benefit from it! But I’d also rather not get fired if I can avoid it.

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    5. OP*

      I call both my senators and my rep about two times per week right now. (In the past it’s been more like once a year.) I’ve heard from friends who’ve worked in legislative offices that calls are more important than letters, although I sometimes write, as well. Unfortunately, whereas a senator’s office typically fields about 30 calls per minute in their voicemails, they’re now fielding about 1,000 calls per minute. And I am in a swing state, so I have no doubt it’s constant. They basically tally up the top 2-3 issues in a given day and how many people called on each side, and that’s all they can do. It’s hard to think it’s making any difference given the raw numbers right now, but I keep at it. Mostly I try to spend time with my neighbors of all stripes and persuasions just building general good will. I go to a politically and racially diverse church, as well, and I think just knowing people personally helps everyone not to feel so much animosity towards an unknown hypothetical stranger, but to experience loving fellowship with someone quite different. Some of those church people are the ones who comment on my posts in all different directions, and we hug each other on Sunday.

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  5. Jennifer Juniper*

    Some tips that may help:

    1. Never post your real name anywhere online.
    2. Never post your photos anywhere online.
    3. Avoid getting your picture taken.
    4. Use a different screen name for each social media platform (for instance, I use a different name for my social media posts than I do for this blog).

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    3. OP*

      I think for me, that would defeat the purpose. My posts are set to be visible to only my fb friends, but I live in a swing state and have a politically diverse network of friends, family, fellow members at my church, etc., and I think there’s something to saying, “Hey, I’m your neighbor, I’m your friend, and based on my own life experience or expertise, I think this policy is harmful.” Often, those people comment their disagreement on Wednesday and say hi to me as a friend at church on Sunday. And I think that’s the value I see in the activity. I also share plenty of funny videos and non-political news articles just for fun. But I don’t think calling out into the void anonymously is something I care to do based on my own personality and motivations.

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      1. learnedthehardway*

        Agreeing – I think you might run a bit of a risk employment opportunities-wise, but then again, would you want to work for a company whose leadership is diametrically opposed to your own? And on the flip side, you may find that your support of diversity, equity, the environment, whatever it is you’re supporting – actually is viewed favourably by other companies.

        As long as you are not denigrating people and are presenting reasoned statements rather than ad hominem attacks, I think that you’ll find you’re a voice in your community that other people need to hear. People really need to NOT be in an echo chamber, and we all need our biases to be questioned. The person who disagrees with you on Wednesday online, but who you shake hands with at church on Sunday needs to know that real people are affected by their views.

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        1. AnotherSarah*

          This is where I land. If your respectful posts are spurring basically respectful conversation, I think that’s a win for democracy and it’s unlikely to have as much of an impact of someone stirring things up.

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      2. Sylvia Fisher*

        It sounds like you are being incredibly thoughtful about this. I’m in academia, albeit in a much more senior (and potentially more protected) role, and I’ve made the same calculation: it matters to show up and say what you believe in. It matters to people who are affected by these decisions (e.g. immigrants, members of the LGBTQ+ community), and it may matter in terms of anchoring what is “normal.” Nothing about what is happening right now is normal.

        It sounds like you actually have a greater chance of helping friends see other sides of an issue because you post respectfully, with facts, and you have friends who aren’t necessarily all politically aligned with your view. I agree with Alison that it’s a risk, but I’m not sure I would feel very comfortable self-censoring either.

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  6. Stuart Foote*

    It’s considering the tone of your posts as well. If you post twenty times a day and constantly call your opponents names, employers may be concerned, while posting reputable articles (as OP appears to be doing) will probably not harm your job search too much. Basically, don’t come across as an asshole or too extreme and I’d guess you’ll be fine.

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    1. Beth*

      In most fields, you’re right. But someone who will be applying for academic (read: highly competitive) jobs that rely on government grants (read: partisan government officials might have an opinion on the hire) in the next few years is working with a different metric than your average corporate job searcher. I think OP is right to be worried that even measured, polite posting could impact their job hunt.

      That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the wrong thing to do. If OP has a big platform and their social media presence has a demonstrable impact on others, they might decide it’s more in line with their values to use that voice than to hunker down. If they find a lot of community via their social media activity, they might distance it from their professional name (e.g. use a pseudonym or stick to sites where your name isn’t attached to your account) and keep going with that. But it’s definitely worth weighing their options.

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    2. Techie Boss*

      I second this. It’s not that respectful and thoughtful posts the way OP describes will never torpedo a prospective job, but those kinds of posts are much less likely to do that. And if they do, it may be a useful screening tool to weed out employers who would be heavy handed about that while you work there.

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  7. Gomez*

    My social media under my real name is fairly politically anodyne. I save my political critique for in-person discussion and my psudeononymous accounts. I feel the second option would be useful for OP if they’re worried — FrankensteinsMyLittlePony Dot Tumblr Dot Com can blog about their grievances with impunity.

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  8. Emily Byrd Starr*

    This is not a popular opinion, but personally I think the world was a better place before social media (I’m Generation X, which means I remember the pre-social media era very well) and that it would be a better place if everybody deleted their accounts. I deleted my Facebook account in 2021, and it was the best thing I ever did for my mental health and wellbeing. Anything positive that you can get from social media is either 1) available elsewhere or 2) something you can do just fine without.
    There have been numerous studies confirming that regular use of social media leads to increased anxiety and depression. It also causes misinformation to be spread throughout the world instantly.
    If people are your true friends, they will stay in your life even without social media. It may take a little more effort to stay in touch with them, but it’s worth it. Call them, text them, email them, and get together with them. And if deleting your social media accounts means that you lose touch with certain people, then they were never your true friends to begin with, just acquaintances, and so you’ll manage fine without them.

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    1. E*

      Older millennial here and I completely agree with you. I miss the days where it’s primary purpose was to simply keep in touch with far flung family and friends. If I were the LW, I should focus on the non social media political work where it will have more impact anyway.

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    2. Silver Robin*

      k.

      Lots of my friends are alive now because the internet and the social media that came with it let them connect to communities that did not exist in their geographic location. Gave them information that was not available at the local library. Taught them things about the world that nobody in their community would express.

      Social media is an entirely free and low effort way to expand one’s understanding of the world, of people different and far away, in any meaning of that word. And it does not necessarily require that you know what to search for. That last bit is really important, because if you do not even know what you do not know/understand, then how are you going to look for it with any intentionality? I have heard so many stories of people who did not even realize there was language to describe their experiences until they came across a post in their feed, or met somebody online who talked about xyz. And that works for a lot of different things, not just gender, not just sexuality, not just mental health. I was able to actually find somebody to study Torah with when I was stationed remotely because of a Facebook group, which was a big deal in my personal journey with Judaism. Does in-person Torah study exist? Sure does! But I would have had to start doing that years later and waiting would have cut off one of the few avenues available to me to study my own religion while I lived in a tiny, foreign town, with no other Jews around. Now I have done that study, I have a friend out of it, and I have a stronger relationship with my own observance. With a big thanks to Facebook for facilitating the connection.

      Are there genuine down sides? Absolutely. None of what you said about the issues with social media are untrue, but it is similarly disingenuous to claim that everything available on social media is equally available off of it.

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      2. The Unspeakable Queen Lisa*

        Yeah, I thought of this – minority communities being able to find each other *has been* really valuable. However, that is the old internet, the old social media. It’s different now.

        You are being sold, your search for “what you don’t even know” is now guided by algorithms that take you where it is profitable, not where it is right for you to learn what you didn’t know. The search itself is being tracked and those in power can hurt you by following you and your search results. Those in power can delete/cancel the accounts of those not in power. I see nothing but downsides to social media now and I’m beginning to think the free internet itself is on the verge of becoming a thing of the past.

        Which is sad, but I’m also seeing my IRL community respond by starting to divest from socials and turn back to “analog”. A poets group in my town has just announced they will be publishing a monthly paper zine! They announced it by Gmail, but it’s a first step.

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      3. Turquoisecow*

        100%

        Elder Millennial here and Facebook in particular lets me maintain friendships with people across the country and around the world whom I would not even know existed if not for social media. Are there downsides, absolutely, but I also have made sincere online friendships and they have helped me feel a lot less miserable and lonely, especially during the pandemic when getting out to meet people was impossible.

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      4. Dinwar*

        I live in the Bible Belt. Finding a Pagan group without social media is extremely difficult–turns out ruining people’s lives for having different beliefs makes them hesitant to speak up, who’d’a thunk? Without social media we’d be far more isolated than we already are.

        “Abuse does not negate use” is a principle as old as writing, for a reason.

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      5. Burnt Out Librarian*

        Agreed! My social circle was 100% online for years because of various reasons. Nowadays I barely talk with my online friends, but I care about them and want to know what’s going on in their lives (especially those right now at risk due to decisions made by the current administration). Social media needs a lot of work, but I remember what it was like before algorithms and billionaires destroying everything they touch, and it was genuinely just another form of connecting and communicating with others. The ensh*ttification (as Cory Doctorow so perfectly put it) is to blame for the reasons social media now causes so much harm– I mean, we always had cyberbullying and bad actors, but that’s just human behavior writ large. But there is still a lot of value to the relationships we cultivate with one another online. We just now have to jump through a lot more hoops thanks to opportunists who took a good thing and made it a profit-making garbage compactor.

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        1. Dinwar*

          “The ensh*ttification (as Cory Doctorow so perfectly put it) is to blame for the reasons social media now causes so much harm…”

          I don’t entirely agree. The issue is, social media allows you to find like-minded people. When it’s people in a positive community, it’s a good thing, sometimes a life saving thing. The problem is, evil groups (and I’ve no problem calling them such) can utilize the same process–they can reach out to like-minded people and realize that there’s more of them than they thought, and gain power in society that way.

          I’m not sure how to allow positive groups to do this without allowing evil groups to do this. I’m not sure you CAN differentiate between the two; there are enough people who think my religion, profession, and hobbies are evil (I’ve received death threats for studying evolutionary biology) that I’m well aware that any attempt to block damaging groups from using social media would inevitably lead to my groups being targeted in such a way.

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    3. Pizza Rat*

      GenX here too. I remember when people were all in a rush to create their own web pages and develop their presence on the internet. I take regular holidays from social media and it’s good for my mental health, whether I spend the freed-up time with friends, with a pile of comics, or other things that help me avoid the laundry.

      It’s not going to go away, though, so it’s worth the effort to spend time configuring and curating the experience to get what you need to out of it. I have some friends and relatives who are never going to leave it and it’s my only way to keep in touch with them.

      I’ve got ADHD, so it’s easy for me to get caught up in doomscrolling unless I set myself a timer and then step away from the app when it goes off. I’m sure other people have tips and tricks as well.

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    4. MigraineMonth*

      I’m an elder millennial who doesn’t use social media, but the picture is a bit more nuanced than that. The type of social media and the way you engage with it is significant in how it affects your life and mental health, and this is true even among teens. Social media can be about consuming the messages sent to you by society, advertisers or the platform. It can also be about forming communities around common experiences or interests with people who are in other locations. It can make someone the target of harassment, or it can be the first place someone feels safe coming out as LGBT+ or the only place someone can talk with someone else with their rare medical condition.

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    5. Neutral Janet*

      I wish it were true that everything was available elsewhere but sometimes it’s just not. I’m an outlier in that I’m mostly housebound by disability/ chronic illness, but the support groups for my condition (and many others) are overwhelmingly on social media and not available anywhere else (unless you pay). And even the paid ones you’ll never find if you don’t use social media. And you won’t hear about most clinical trials or new treatments either (you’d be amazed at how many clinical trials have a web presence that consists of an instagram post with maaaaybe a contact email address).

      I say I’m an outlier but there are millions in my situation (which I know because of social media!) and our numbers are growing all the time thanks to long covid. I’m equally horrified when I think about living this way before social media, and when I think about the course that most social media platforms are taking.

      Anyway, only tangentially related to the OP’s question, but just wanted to push back on the idea that we’d all be better off if we just disconnected from social media. For many of us it’s not that simple

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    6. learnedthehardway*

      Historical view – people were just as ignorant and dangerous pre-social media and the internet. At least now, you CAN find alternative points of view. You just have to be willing to challenge yourself. You’re not stuck in your own echo chamber unless you either want to be or don’t curate your feed.

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  9. I didn't say banana*

    Given that posting about politics has some career risks, the benefits need to be more carefully considered. Are these posts going to change anyone’s mind? Do they open a respectful dialogue? Do they build a following that can be leveraged (eg encouraged to vote)? If the only benefit is feeling like you can’t stay silent, there are other ways to achieve this.

    Also, would an account under a fake name solve this?

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  10. Former Retail Lifer*

    My Facebook account has my real first name, an alternate last name, a real photo of me, and its kept private. The only public posts I have on my profile are some about lost dogs. An employer can’t see anything but those.

    My public accounts don’t have my name or face or any info that would allow easy identification.

    Just make sure you keep it neutral when you can easily be identified. If you have an anonymous account, post what you want. I don’t know what your likelihood of being doxxed is, but I don’t think I have the engagement for anyone to bother with that effort.

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  11. Ann Nonymous*

    LW, you can also join a private group where you can post/comment/vent. I created one during the 2016 election where a number of us can let loose. Nothing is completely secret or private, but if you’re also careful in these rooms, you will likely not be “caught” by an employer.

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  12. Celeb*

    As for locking it down in the future – I made a comment on Reddit 5+ years ago. A few months ago a screenshot of that comment was featured in a Tick Tock video that went viral and had hundreds of thousands of views.

    Fortunately, it was a low-stakes celeb gossip quip but what a trip to see it years later so randomly.

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  13. Calyx*

    Counterpoint: authoritarianism thrives on the assumption that everyone secretly agrees. By posting as you have, you display bravery and show that educated, competent people don’t agree. That has worth in itself.

    I agree with all the usual cautions about being professional in the way you speak and what you post about, and that we should be doing other things as well, but standing up publicly for what’s right has worth.

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    2. Peregrine*

      I agree, and think it’s frightening to see so many people just saying not to post anything political, when political means supporting diversity programs or opposing the party that ruled Germany during WWII. The current party in office and the tech bros that are helping have been vastly helped by social media. I think it’s very odd to see how social media, and the misinformation many people share on it, have helped elect a president and then have people say posting does nothing.

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      1. The Unspeakable Queen Lisa*

        Posting does nothing *to change people’s minds*. It can reinforce what people already believe.

        Reply ↓
        1. Turquoisecow*

          It can help people feel less alone if, for example, you’re the lone liberal in a very red community. And I don’t think that’s nothing when it comes to either political organizing or mental health.

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    3. MigraineMonth*

      It’s a tragedy of the commons situation. If everyone acts primarily in the interests of keeping themselves safe, we’re “complying in advance”. It’s worrying how many people who aren’t yet being targeted by this administration are deeply afraid and making changes to avoid potentially being targeted in the future.

      On the other hand, LW says they are taking other actions, such as calling their members of congress. Unless they have a significant following, I’d concentrate my efforts on those and similar effective actions rather than screaming into the social media din.

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    4. toolegittoresign*

      I agree — it shouldn’t be professionally controversial to say disrupting NIH research funding causes real problems that have real negative impacts. That’s just facts and an entirely professional assessment. I wouldn’t want to work somewhere where they are uncomfortable with employees posting facts on social media.

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    5. 40ish*

      Yes, I agree with this. OP says it is important to them to stand up to authoritarianism and the time to do so is now. It has career risks but if everyone thinks only of that the opposition will be silenced.

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    6. fhqwhgads*

      Counter-counter point: the people who own the social media companies are cool with the authoritarianism. If everyone who felt as OP does deleted their accounts on all the big socials tomorrow, it’d have a bigger impact than any given post.

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    7. OP*

      I appreciate this, and it has been my thinking thus far. I’m not out here saying outrageous things. But I do think this direction is authoritarian, and in many small ways that add up to a bigger stance, it’s important to me to say that I don’t and won’t assent to it. Prior to this, I would describe my social media presence as mostly apolitical joke memes, with a rare political piece.

      Reply ↓
      1. Bike Walk Bake Books*

        An additional thought on this point: Saying what you’re for and what you’re working toward is in line with your career goals. That doesn’t need to include negativity and name-calling that won’t contribute to your professional standing. Speaking up for things has power and you may be able to frame something in a way that helps someone else recognized shared values, like “Oh, I too don’t want people to die of preventable diseases.” Doing that without adding something they might automatically push back against may provide space for a subtle shift in their thinking, whereas an either/or win/lose framing will draw a response in kind.

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  14. It Me*

    The other practical suggestions about social media accounts aside, I have jobs on my resume that give away where I stand even if a potential employer didn’t go searching the internet for me. Early in my career I was worried, but at this point I’ve reached a point of zen about it. Do I want to work at a place that wouldn’t hire me because of those positions? Do I want to spend half my waking hours giving them my hard work?

    Not really. It probably limits where I end up working, but I’m happier than I would be otherwise.

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  15. desk platypus*

    In my public facing job, one of my coworkers is targeted by members of the public because of his public Facebook account. We’re in a deeply conservative area and all my coworker’s liberal posts are brought up in public forums as proof of “the liberal agenda takeover” even if he’s just one part of our organization. It’s not just white noise, it’s had an actual effect on how our conservative higher ups deal with us. We’ve since been advised to keep private profiles.

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  16. Lils*

    I have made a choice similar to Calyx’s suggestion above. I post loudly and frequently about what’s happening right now. Everyone knows who I am and where I work; I used to be in academia and now I’m in industry. Some people here know who I am too (hi, friends!).

    *I don’t keep it professional or try to mince words because what is happening right now is absolutely bananas and will lead to harm and death for vulnerable people. I can’t stay silent or not point out what is actually happening. Frankly, right now, the F word is more than warranted. Anyone who supports the current regime would get eaten alive on my page and I would be fine with that. Choices have consequences.

    *I’m not an internet troll, I’m a real person who sees what is happening and is quite alarmed. I don’t want to use a pseudonym–I want folks to see real information and alarm from a real person who they know. It’s powerful.

    *I have some basic protections on my accounts but I know people screenshot my posts and send it to my bosses because it’s happened before. To those people, I wish you the day you deserve. I don’t want to be fired or lose opportunities for speaking out, but I’m willing to take that risk.

    *YMMV on social media posts. Because of where I’m from, I’m some people’s only liberal friend. People have told me I’m the only way they’re seeing reliable info. For me, I feel moved to continue, at least for right now.

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  17. Do You Hear The People Sing?*

    Can we even call it “politics” at this point? It’s not a disagreement about tax policy, it’s a disagreement about the existence of our country.

    I posted about politics on social media while job-hunting and now I’m trying to decide between two equally appealing job offers.

    But then I’m in a field where fewer than 10% of workers belong to the Republican Party.

    Reply ↓
  18. AnonFed*

    I will just say as a Fed, I appreciate people speaking up on social media. Under the Hatch Act and other rules I do retain my First Amendment rights and am not silenced, but there are risks with various laws being violated daily. And we’re getting a flood of misinformation and bullying on social media because of bad actors. It does mean a lot to have people speak up for us and I thank people for that.

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  19. AnotherOne*

    I guess the alternative side to this is- as someone who is hiring, should I be googling people? Checking their linkedin pages?

    I’m the hiring manager for the first time and thought it was best to not click on a linkedin page, even if it was provided, because maybe it would influence me. But maybe I should be clicking.

    At least linkedin pages if someone is sending the link.

    Reply ↓
    1. Glengarry Glenn Close*

      There’s nothing wrong with looking at someone’s LinkedIn page before interviewing – that is extremely common – they’re certainly looking at you!

      Reply ↓
    2. Another Hiring Manager*

      I do. With LinkedIn, there is often more detailed descriptions of work done than is on the resume. If there are public FB posts I will take a look, but many people lock down much of their feed.

      If you’re aware that looking might influence you, it’s great you’re aware. You’ve got the opportunity to step back and ensure your evaluations are more objective. If you’re not sure, get a second opinion.

      Reply ↓
  20. Emily*

    I’m surprised that Alison didn’t include another of her common pieces of advice here, which is that yes, some employers might screen you out over this, but that might be a filter you actually want. I work in academia, and if there are academic institutions that would refuse to hire me for publicly opposing the current NIH cuts, I don’t want to work there. As usual, it’s up to you how picky you can afford to be. But personally I wouldn’t want to work anywhere that’s opposed to the type of social media presence this poster is talking about, and I can afford to screen out those employers.

    Reply ↓
    1. Burnt Out Librarian*

      This. Anyone who takes umbrage to me calling out harm and hatred and insisting on propriety in the face of political violence isn’t someone I want to work for, with, or around.

      Reply ↓
      1. Burnt Out Librarian*

        (The hypothetical person is the one insisting on propriety in the face of political violence, in case that wasn’t clear. I have a case of the swirly brain today, my apologies.)

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  21. WonderWoman*

    There’s a couple more factors to consider that I haven’t seen others bring up yet:

    – It might seem like a good idea to rule out potential employers who might be turned off by your social media activity, but if you’re applying to large and diverse organizations, there’s always the chance that whoever is in the business of screening you out doesn’t reflect the entire company’s views.

    – Tone is really hard to convey in writing. What might seem to its author like well-reasoned and thoughtful dialogue could come across very differently to a stranger.

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  22. Burnt Out Librarian*

    I come from the land of Internet Past, before Facebook, where no one ever used their real names online because you never know if you were talking with an axe murderer in AOL chat. All my social media is under a pseudonym, one that my online friends are familiar with so we can find one another on the various platforms as they implode or swarm with bots and deplorables, and my only Real Name public stuff is carefully curated because in my past life I was a children’s librarian and if you work with kids you can’t be human or adults apparently have meltdowns. (I wish I was kidding.)

    Definitely separate your online life from your offline life. Anyone doing a discount background check (a.k.a. Googling your first and last name) will not find you if your Bluesky or Similar Site That Will Not Be Named is under “AgentFoxMulderIsMyDad” or whatever.

    Privacy is becoming rarer and rarer these days– grasp whatever we have left and use it while you can to express your real thoughts on what’s going on.

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  23. YesPhoebeWould*

    Except for the most senior roles (VP or above at major corporations), or companies or roles that have unusual exposure, the OP should be fine locking down social media during an active job search. With Facebook, restricting access to ‘Friends” only should help. LinkedIn obviously should never be used for political posts.

    When a potential employer does do a social media review, usually they are not working hard on it (I did some of these for a previous role). If it isn’t easy to find via a google search or a bespoke search on the social media sites themselves, your political posts are unlikely to be a problem. There are ways to dig pretty deeply, but very few companies are going to work that hard unless they have a very good reason to.

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  24. HR Exec Popping In*

    Sadly, you need to assume any future employer (or funder) will see what you post online. You are smart to be thinking about that. I’m not saying it is right or should influence their decision making, but it might. And all organizations have both very liberal and very conservative employees. My employer looks fairly conservative to the outside world, but leans more progressive inside. But we have a handful of VERY conservative leaders here and there. Remember, organizations by themselves, are not an entity that makes decisions. It is a conglomerate of many people all making individual decision.

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  25. MissMuffett*

    I’ve always wondered about this aspect of social media in job hunting – let’s assume for the purpose of this question that the Dear Leaders of the Social Medias aren’t going to just make everything public – If you have a private social media presence, even under your real name, employers might try to see your profile but they won’t see anything you have behind the privacy wall. Just like any other random person who might look you up. Right?
    I have a college kid and have always told them to just keep stuff locked down (and also still don’t post anything stupid) but I was thinking if you have it set to private, you are generally safe from employer’s prying eyes.
    Or am I missing something?

    Reply ↓
    1. Silver Robin*

      You are correct; especially for the baseline skim that an employer would do. Nobody is going to go digging particularly hard over a job application (with a caveat for things that require security clearance of some kind, but those are not the norm). Hiring managers are looking for blatant warning signs; keep things set to “private” or “friends only” or whatever the setting is for that particular account, and kiddo should be fine.

      Reply ↓
  26. Lenora Rose*

    While I agree with locking down parts of social media, I believe most of my public posts on Facebook ARE political. They aren’t extreme, they don’t vilify the other side (any more than they vilify themselves) but they are undeniably pro human rights and equity. And I have no intention of locking them down more. Because frankly, I don’t *want* to work for anyone who thinks an orange shirt saying “Every Child Matters” * or a post supporting LGBTQIA or a comment on climate change is “too much”.

    * NOT, to be clear, a response to Black Lives Matter, despite its unfortunate resemblance to “all lives matter” pushback, but a response to Residential Schools.

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  27. Educator*

    Wow, it is fascinating to hear other perspectives on this. Social media is seen as such a massive liability in primary and secondary education that teacher training programs generally advise future educators to lock it down completely. I have not had a public profile under my real name in twenty years.

    I once had a colleague get in trouble because there was a Facebook photo of her in the same frame as a red Solo cup—she was not holding it, and she did not post the photo, but the implication that she might be partying was enough.

    Folks in some roles like teaching, policy, some government work, etc. are held to wildly higher and less reasonable standards. If you think life might take you those directions, you need to be a lot more careful.

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  28. Too many dogs*

    I work for a public library. My job requires working with the general public all day. It also requires us to be neutral on lots of sensitive subjects, including politics. When I am hiring, I do look people up on social media, using first, last, middle names, and nicknames. If someone’s posts are either almost all political/sensitive subjects, or what they are posting is vitriolic or blatantly offensive, I admit that it will affect the way I look at that candidate. I wonder, “will they be able to keep their cool when Mr. Opinion says something they strongly disagree with?”

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  29. some dude*

    Social media exists to stoke outrage, and has contributed greatly to the current state of our country. All of the major social media companies are bending the knee to trump. It is not worth a real-life opportunity for a job to yell at dumb people online. I don’t think it is worth it, and your mental health will improve greatly if you are no longer engaging as much online. For real. You aren’t fighting fascism by telling a MAGA truther that Russia in fact invaded Ukraine. Making phone calls to your rep is 100 times more impactful.

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  30. Edam*

    As Miss Manners said recently, “First,you should understand that your opinions are not great truths, but—well, just your opinions.”

    Reply ↓
    1. Honey Badger*

      Exactly. And social media post can only harm you in my opinion. Professionally, I don’t think they ever help you. Unless you’re working for a very political group.

      Reply ↓
  31. JMC*

    I freely post my political opinions, we have to spread awareness of what is going on this the US right now. It’s turning into a dictatorship (although a lot is being blocked fortunately) and I do not care what any employer thinks. I am not hiding my opinion, that’s how you oppress people. That being said my facebook is locked down for privacy, but I am posting on LinkedIn and others freely. Don’t like it don’t care.

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  33. tea fish*

    My existence as a non-white, non-Christian, non-straight person is inherently political in the eyes of the current US authori-fascist regime, and keeping quiet about it on social media won’t change that. The thought of all the queer folks I know clamming up and disappearing from sight (leaving only “Trump approved” identities to speak in the social media public square) is awful. It’s terrible to have to choose between ‘look after yourself and your future prospects’ and ‘speak up to remind folks that you exist and current political policies are actively harmful to you.’ Seeing so many corporations eager to kowtow to bigotry is also pretty fucking scary.

    With that said, I personally think it’s worth weeding out employers who are going to object to what you’ve posted, especially if you generally take an even-handed approach to political topics. Location and chosen career play into how feasible that is, of course, but there’s definitely something to be said about self selecting for a workplace that isn’t jumping at the opportunity for government-encouraged discrimination.

    Reply ↓
  34. Honey badger*

    What does engaging in social media about politics really due to benefit you? All that can really do is harm you in the long run, professionally. If you’re going to do it create a separate account that has nothing to do with your true identity. You aren’t going to change anybody’s mind about their stance. And yes, prospective employers are going to check your social media. If they see you as argumentative, it looks bad on you.

    Reply ↓

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