There’s a never ending amount of posts out there on how to develop your personal brand; the topic seems like it’s been beaten to death. But nowadays, how you define your brand changes a lot quicker so there’s always something to learn.

It’s easy to develop who you are online when you’ve only been active in the space for a few years, like myself, but what about the younger generation that’s growing up with social media at their fingertips? Unless their parents are watching their every move online, and let’s face it many aren’t, kids are going online without thinking of the future.

I don’t expect a 13-year old to think about what his future employer will say about the things he posts, but as he grows older with the comfort of posting his life online, will it be common sense that he knows those drunken pictures or angry blog posts can easily be found, or will the same things need to be taught?

I got to thinking about this after reading a CBC.ca article about Nathalie Blanchard.

As the article points out, Nathalie is fighting with her insurance company to get her sick benefits back. It all had to do with Manulife finding Facebook pictures of her seemingly having fun at a party when she was on sick leave for major depression.

The pictures used to “catch” Natalie were apparently private, and photos like that are supposedly only findable if you know the direct link, even if it’s been deleted off of Facebook, according to the article.

Natalie’s pictures probably weren’t as bad as Manulife is making them out to be. This brings me back to my original point. If a teenager posts questionable photos of themselves but later realize they don’t want those photos out there, is it too late? That content is available long after they’ve been deleted, and could pop up anywhere.

Also, if a potential employer decided to research your online persona, and 45 per cent of them do, according to Harris Interactive, you should really avoid posting about how much you hate your boss or job; common sense really.

So for everyone untagging and deleting photos they don’t like, look out because they’ll always be there. And for those that may be comfortable with posting anything now, down the road your priorities could change and that content could come back to bite you.

สาวแคนาดาผู้ป่วยโรคซึมเศร้าประกาศว่าเธอจะต่อสู้ยิบตากับบริษัทประกันภัยที่ตัดสินใจงดสิทธิประโยชน์ที่เธอควรได้รับ หลังจากบริษัทประกันพบภาพเธอกำลังเฮฮาในบาร์และงานปาร์ตี้ซึ่งเธออัปโหลดขึ้นไปโชว์บนเครือข่ายสังคมยอดฮิตอย่างเฟสบุ๊ก (Facebook) บริษัทประกันอ้างว่าหยุดจ่ายเงินเพราะภาพฟ้องว่าเธอสามารถกลับไปทำงานได้แล้ว ขณะที่ทนายโต้ว่า หมอเป็นคนแนะนำให้คนไข้ไปพักผ่อน

สาวนางนี้มีนามว่านาตาลี แบลงชาร์ด (Nathalie Blanchard) เธอถูกวินิจฉัยว่าป่วยเป็นโรคซึมเศร้าและได้รับค่าตอบแทนรายเดือน กระทั่งช่วงฤดูใบไม้ร่วงที่ผ่านมา บริษัทประกันภัย Manulife หยุดจ่ายเงินประกันให้เธอโดยตัวแทนให้เหตุผลว่า ภาพที่เธอกำลังมีความสุขในปาร์ตี้วันเกิดอายุครบ 29 ปีบนเฟสบุ๊กนั้นแสดงว่าเธอหายป่วยจากโรคซึมเศร้าและสามารถกลับไปทำงานได้แล้ว

จุดนี้ทนายความนามทอม ลาวิน (Tom Lavin) ระบุว่าแบลงชาร์ดถูกเอาเปรียบและเธอมีสิทธิ์เต็มที่ในการไปเที่ยวเล่นที่ไหนก็ได้

ลาวินระบุว่าคุณหมอนั้นแนะนำให้แบลงชาร์ดเดินทางท่องเที่ยว เธอจึงตัดสินใจท่องเที่ยวนาน 4 วันราว 3 ครั้งตามคำแนะนำของแพทย์ ด้านบริษัทประกันภัยปฏิเสธที่จะให้ความเห็นในกรณีที่เกิดขึ้น แต่ยืนยันว่าบริษัทไม่มีนโยบายนำข้อมูลซึ่งเผยแพร่บนเว็บไซต์อย่างเฟสบุ๊ก มาเป็นเงื่อนไขพิจารณาการคืนเงินประกัน โดยคดีของแบลงชาร์ดมีกำหนดพิพากษาวันที่ 8 ธันวาคมนี้

นี่เป็นอีกหนึ่งกรณีที่เครือข่ายสังคมส่งผลถึงชีวิตประจำวันผู้ใช้โดยบังเอิญ ก่อนหน้านี้ มีกรณีที่บริษัทองค์กรนำเครือข่ายสังคมออนไลน์มาเป็นเครื่องมือสำรวจพฤติกรรมและนิสัยส่วนตัวของผู้สมัครงานหน้าใหม่ ซึ่งทำให้เกิดเป็นกระแสระมัดระวังตัวกันมากขึ้น

โดย ASTVผู้จัดการออนไลน์

Via AP

BROMONT, Quebec – A Canadian woman on long-term sick leave for depression says she lost her benefits because her insurance agentfound photos of her on Facebook in which she appeared to be having fun.

Nathalie Blanchard has been on leave from her job at IBM in Bromont, Quebec, for the last year.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported Saturday she was diagnosed with major depression and was receiving monthly sick-leave benefits from insurance giant Manulife.

But the payments dried up this fall and when Blanchard called Manulife, she says she was told she was available to work because of Facebook.

She said her insurance agent described several pictures Blanchard posted on Facebook, including ones showing her having a good time at a Chippendales bar show, at her birthday party and on a sun holiday.

Blanchard said Manulife told her it’s evidence she is no longer depressed. She’s fighting to get her benefits reinstated and says her lawyer is exploring what the next step should be.

Blanchard told the CBC that on her doctor’s advice, she tried to have fun, including nights out at her local bar with friends and short getaways to sun destinations, as a way to forget her problems.

Manulife wouldn’t comment on Blanchard’s case, but did say they would not deny or terminate a claim solely based on information published on Web sites such as Facebook.

Canadian, who was on sick leave, shown having fun at Chippendales, on trip 

BROMONT, Quebec – Photos on Facebook have cost a Canadian woman her long-term sick leave benefits.

Nathalie Blanchard has been on leave from her job at IBM in Bromont, Quebec, for the last year.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported she was diagnosed with major depression and was receiving monthly sick-leave benefits.

But when a Manulife insurance agent discovered pictures of Blanchard having a good time, the payments dried up.

The story below featured on the Australian Broadcasting Commissions (ABC) News service today “Facebook smile costs woman her benefits”

There are a lot of stories circulating about people being fired after saying inappropriate things on Facebook about their bosses and colleges. I wonder how many of these stories are just jokes and how many are for real.

This is obviously a joke: I mean whoever heard of a Canadian being depressed? It is a beautiful country and summer comes regularly on the 15th July each year. And the double whammy. Whoever heard of an IBM employee being depressed? On strike yes. Depressed No.

On the other hand, if it is true that Manulife could access her Facebook site, then that in itself is prima facie evidence of her depression. Why on earth would an IBM employee who deals with things IT every day, leave her Facebook settings as “Open to all to view”, except that she was depressed? Her failure to secure her Facebook site is clear evidence of a mind not functioning clearly.

The article does not mention whether Nathalie thought the actions of Manulife were justified or not.

Your call…

A Canadian woman has learned that Facebook can be a double-edged sword after an insurance company cut her health benefits, claiming she was healthy after seeing pictures of her smiling in a bikini at the beach.

Nathalie Blanchard, 29, took long-term sick leave from her job at IBM in Bromont, Quebec, more than a year ago for severe depression.

She was receiving monthly benefits from her insurance company, Manulife.

But when Ms Blanchard called Manulife to inquire why the payments had dried up, the company said that she was “available to work, because of Facebook”.

She told Canadian television that Manulife cited several pictures she had posted on her Facebook page, including some showing her celebrating her birthday, sunbathing and enjoying a male strip-tease show at a Chippendales bar.

Based on these postings, the firm claimed Ms Blanchard was no longer depressed.

Manulife declined to comment on the incident but said in a statement that “we would not deny or terminate a valid claim solely based on information published on websites such as Facebook”.

But the company admitted that it uses such information to learn more about its clients

Here is a big collection: