Google's Schmidt: Teens' mistakes will never go away

[Heath]

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-57...never-go-away/

Speaking at a festival in the U.K., Google's executive chairman offers that the things teens do now will stay with them forever, by way of the Web. He also suggested some people are sharing too much online.

It must be peculiar for children of the Internet age.
They are the first to have a complete record of their whole lives. They are the first who'll be able to offer concrete proof of every one of their days, friends, and actions.

Eric Schmidt worries, however, that they'll be the first who'll never be allowed to forget their mistakes.

As the Telegraph reports, Schmidt spoke Saturday at the Hay Festival in the U.K. and offered some sobering thoughts for those addled by online life.
He said: "There are situations in life that it's better that they don't exist. Especially if there is stuff you did when you were a teenager. Teenagers are now in an adult world online."

Some days, you could hardly describe most of what happens online as "adult." Still, Schmidt says he believes the online world has gone too far in forcing teens to never forget.

In bygone times, he said, they were punished, but allowed to grow beyond youthful indiscretions.

Some might wonder that teenagers aren't punished enough these days, so the online world acts as a peculiar corrective.
However, my own worry is the use of the word "mistake."
This is a word that is always couched in certainty, but often has a highly fluctuating meaning.

A word or an act can seem like a mistake when it happens -- and even shortly afterward. In years to come, though, you might look back on it and see that, though it created friction and even hurt at the time, it served a higher and more character-forming purpose in the long run.

[kane]

My nephew has already felt this sting in a few ways. Of course, his own stupidity isn't helping.

Twice he has been turned down for jobs because the person who looked over his application did a a Google search on him. He found his mug shot from when he broke into a car and they found his Facebook which is covered with pictures of him drinking booze (he is 18), smoking weed, and he and his other white friends calling each other the N word.

I told him he either needs to fix his Facebook page and get rid of those pictures and posts or make the entire thing private. He refuses to do it because he insists that what he does on his free time shouldn't matter with a job. When I point out that so far what he has done on his free time has cost him two jobs he just calls those people assholes he wouldn't want to work for anyway.

So he continues on, a soon to be 19-year-old who has never worked a day in his life. His mistakes and idiocy are broadcast to the world and I'm sure they will come back to haunt him again in the future.

[_Richard_]

Originally Posted by kane

My nephew has already felt this sting in a few ways. Of course, his own stupidity isn't helping.

Twice he has been turned down for jobs because the person who looked over his application did a a Google search on him. He found his mug shot from when he broke into a car and they found his Facebook which is covered with pictures of him drinking booze (he is 18), smoking weed, and he and his other white friends calling each other the N word.

I told him he either needs to fix his Facebook page and get rid of those pictures and posts or make the entire thing private. He refuses to do it because he insists that what he does on his free time shouldn't matter with a job. When I point out that so far what he has done on his free time has cost him two jobs he just calls those people assholes he wouldn't want to work for anyway.

So he continues on, a soon to be 19-year-old who has never worked a day in his life. His mistakes and idiocy are broadcast to the world and I'm sure they will come back to haunt him again in the future.

just wait for linkedin to be a 'required form of resume'

[Fat Panda]

the internet has completely fucked mankind

[Scott McD]

Google's executive chairman offers that the things teens do now will stay with them forever, by way of the Web. He also suggested some people are sharing too much online.

No shit sherlock!

When people can't wake up in the morning without making a status update about it, then you realise everyone is just sharing a bit too much info...

[J. Falcon]

Originally Posted by kane

My nephew has already felt this sting in a few ways. Of course, his own stupidity isn't helping.

Twice he has been turned down for jobs because the person who looked over his application did a a Google search on him. He found his mug shot from when he broke into a car and they found his Facebook which is covered with pictures of him drinking booze (he is 18), smoking weed, and he and his other white friends calling each other the N word.

I told him he either needs to fix his Facebook page and get rid of those pictures and posts or make the entire thing private. He refuses to do it because he insists that what he does on his free time shouldn't matter with a job. When I point out that so far what he has done on his free time has cost him two jobs he just calls those people assholes he wouldn't want to work for anyway.

So he continues on, a soon to be 19-year-old who has never worked a day in his life. His mistakes and idiocy are broadcast to the world and I'm sure they will come back to haunt him again in the future.

Sounds like a lot of younger people I know.

[Rochard]

This is why parents teach their kids what is appropriate behavior and what isn't.

When I was a kid this conversation was "don't do drugs, and don't knock anyone up". Now as a parent this includes not talking to talk strangers on line, no dirty pictures online, do not post anything stupid online, and no cyber bullying. More recently after those kidnapped girls were found we've included "no rides from people you know without our prior approval".

In today's age it's going to be more difficult for kids to get away with stuff. Anything they do online will be online for years to come.

[$5 submissions]

Anyone else see the irony in all this?

[Bman]

Originally Posted by _Richard_

just wait for linkedin to be a 'required form of resume'

not everybody lives in a socialist state bro

[CaptainHowdy]

[$5 submissions]

Originally Posted by kane

My nephew has already felt this sting in a few ways. Of course, his own stupidity isn't helping.

Twice he has been turned down for jobs because the person who looked over his application did a a Google search on him. He found his mug shot from when he broke into a car and they found his Facebook which is covered with pictures of him drinking booze (he is 18), smoking weed, and he and his other white friends calling each other the N word.

I told him he either needs to fix his Facebook page and get rid of those pictures and posts or make the entire thing private. He refuses to do it because he insists that what he does on his free time shouldn't matter with a job. When I point out that so far what he has done on his free time has cost him two jobs he just calls those people assholes he wouldn't want to work for anyway.

So he continues on, a soon to be 19-year-old who has never worked a day in his life. His mistakes and idiocy are broadcast to the world and I'm sure they will come back to haunt him again in the future.

That's sad. Don't people deserve a second chance? So Google locks people out for life?
If I were him, I'd start getting the ropes of online marketing quickly. Fuck working for a boss.