The Social Media Filter

  Social media connects people in ways that previously weren't possible or weren't preferred.  My friend in Canada can go to my Facebook page and see my latest activity, but so can that creepy chick that I just accepted as a friend out of sympathy.  Also, a company that I'm applying for can search my profile to see what I do in my personal life before they hire me (That's the reason I take down the pics of me smiling at the camera while drunkenly mounting a chick bent over my coffee table before I interview). Now, with some properly applied privacy settings, the people that you aren't close to can only get a limited portion of your online shenanigans.  However, what about those you are close with?

  Family is another easy choice to filter as some people don't want Mom & Dad seeing their drunken pictures (Not me, I want my Mom to see my pics so she knows not to invite me out with her friends unless they bring plenty of drinks & their pretty daughters).  But what about those that are not related to you & are the closest to you?

  Before the rise of constant, public communication between friends & the display of personal information brought about by social networking websites, you had to be close with someone (or be close with someone that can't keep a secret) to find out the mundane or erotic details of a person's life.  "Girl talk" was limited to a phone call or text with the closest female friends.  Now, it can be found on profile walls and via Twitter conversation.  The same applies for guys. Now, the degree of personal information that's shared via these means varies greatly...but there's still a good bit of private talk being shared publicly.

  It seems that this is becoming more of the rule than the exception (maybe more so in the people I fraternize with online...tramps).  So should another filter be added in to protect privacy/sanity or is this new found public-intimacy that comes with telling our lives on the internet the next step in social evolution?  For example, should a significant other subscribe to your social media posts when you talk very frankly about your personal life?  The quick answer is yes.  As your significant other, that person is one of your best friends (or supposed to be...tramp) and this is information that is in the realm of what you could tell them.  However, if you are in the habit of having private conversations via this site, you might not want your significant other to see it (especially if you rant/vent about them).

  I've seen people mention that they couldn't date somebody if they read their blog, because after a few dates they would become a topic.  So if you start dating someone, should you block them?  Should you unblock them after you break up?  Should you customize your privacy settings so only your preferred friends see your most intimate updates?  Should you even bring your relationship/personal problems to a public social site to begin with?  Should you just regress to calling/texting/speaking in person with your friends when you talk about your private life?  Should you fart in elevators and post pics of the people's facial reaction as they smell it?  (Ok, that last one is something that I'm trying to cut back on, but it's fun)

  I raised a lot of questions, but ultimately, I only know how I handle it and I have my opinions about what is too much to put on social media sites.  What are your thoughts on this?  What do you do to maintain that private life - social life balance?