The ease with which digital content can be shared online, in addition to its many benefits, has created a host of problems for today's high school and college students. All too often, students are uploading, updating, posting and publishing without giving a second thought to who might see their content or how it might be perceived.
lol...OMG! provides a cautionary look at the many ways that today's students are experiencing the unanticipated negative consequences of their digital decisions - from lost job opportunities and denied college and graduate school admissions to full-blown national scandals. It also examines how technology is allowing students to bully one another in new and disturbing ways, and why students are often crueler online than in person. By using real-life case studies and offering actionable strategies and best practices, this book empowers students to clean up and maintain a positive online presence, and to become responsible digital citizens.
"Matt Ivester's book, lol...OMG!, is a "must read" for every college student, every high school student and the parents of each. It is also a "should read" for everyone who might want a job in today's world."
Joe Riley, Director of Human Resources, LinkedIn
"Insightful, relatable, and critically important, lol...OMG! is a must-read."
Greg Boardman, Vice Provost for Student Affairs, Stanford University
"We are at a critical point in technological history - where social media is beginning to have more impact on how we are perceived than our in-person interactions. lol...OMG! could not be more timely."
Jennifer Aaker, General Atlantic Professor of Marketing, Stanford University, and author of The Dragonfly Effect
"This book is required reading for anyone who wishes to survive the viral lawlessness of college life."
Larry Winokur, Co-Founder, BWR Public Relations
"Matt Ivester's book lol...OMG! is essential reading for parents, educators and anyone, of any age, who uses the Internet and has wondered about privacy and discretion. Leveraging his insider experience from his now-closed website JuicyCampus.com, he offers common sense methods that all of us need to know to protect us from the malicious gossip, mean-spirited rumors and sharing of personal information which now seems epidemic on the Internet."
William F. Meehan III, Director Emeritus, McKinsey and Co., Raccoon Partners Lecturer In Management, Stanford University
"In this era of digital citizenship, the information employers find online can have a significant impact on your success in the hiring process. Read this book and take control of that information!"
Hayagreeva Rao, Atholl McBean Professor of Organizational Behavior and Human Resources, Stanford University
"Digital citizenship is an essential part of a modern education. The digital age has provided students with a host of new challenges, and we have an obligation to help them address those challenges. lol...OMG! is an important and valuable educational resource for students struggling to stay true to their own ethical principles while still keeping up with the quickly evolving digital landscape."
Robert M. Saltzman, Associate Dean, USC Gould School of Law
"A much-needed introduction to the realities, risks and rewards that college students face when they construct online identities. A useful and practical guide for college administrators as well as students."
Dr. Ernest J. Wilson III, Dean, USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism
"Matt Ivester understands the challenges of this new electronic frontier and provides information that will make a difference in your life if you read this book."
Ozzie Harris II, Senior Vice Provost for Diversity & Community, Emory University