The Main Event by Memory Makers Event Planning, LLC

When a couple becomes engaged, are about to embark on a dream vacation, or another personal event is looming on the horizon, the tendency is to tell the world via Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp and other online sites. But doing so could backfire if you are not careful. You could be telling the world, not just your family and friends. And you don't know who may be lurking out there - a former emotionally unstable boy/girl friend, a stalker, a party crasher, or even a burglar who knows your home will be vacant for that great vacation, reunion or even a funeral.

Facebook! Twitter! Instagram! We are addicted to our social media. As quickly as a new site appears, people set up accounts and begin posting. That is fine if you want the world to know everything about your personal life, but problems can arise if you invade someone's privacy by sharing their personal details without permission. In some instances, sharing may expose someone to danger should a violent ex or a stalker find the post. Some employers monitor employee or potential employees' on-line activity. The less than flattering photo of someone who had too much to drink or was behaving badly could cost him or her their job or promotion.

No doubt about it, social media has changed our lives. We can easily stay connected with family and friends across the country and around the world. Businesses increasingly use Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube for marketing. All are simple to use, making it easy to fall into the habit of quickly posting or tweeting about where we are, what we are doing or what we think, sometimes multiple times each day. But sometimes those posts can backfire. Today, employers and potential employers increasingly monitor social media. Suppose an employer sends people to a training conference only to later see posts such as, "Lame speaker" or "Bored out of my mind." The employee attended the conference to learn new things, not to spend time on his/her phone or the Internet critiquing the speaker or topics. Doing so could result in a reprimand or, unknown to the employee, a write up in their personnel file. Facebook, Twitter and YouTube should be off limits when...