“Stop Being Stupid” — Job Background Checker Says Social Media Comments Costing People Jobs

Social media has made people more inclined to attention-seeking, oversharing, and narcissism throughout the years. It can also result in your losing your job if you aren't careful about what you post. This is a lesson that a TikTok user learned the hard way after she revealed her salary online. As it turns out, her employer didn't like that too much and decided to can her for her online content.

Now, another TikTok user who goes by Tyler the Jeweler (@tylerthejewelerttj) is reminding folks that "the internet is forever," in a viral clip that's garnered over 1.4 million views on the popular social media platform. In the video, he states that he performs "a lot of background screenings" on behalf of massive companies looking to hire individuals.

The clip was a PSA for folks who found themselves repeatedly being ghosted by companies they apply to. He writes in a text overlay of his video: "Please listen if you are trying to get a job in the corporate world! Here's why social media is black listing you from getting hired," he penned.

From the onset of the clip, he states that the biggest reason why a lot of companies aren't getting back to prospective hires is due to their online social media presence. However, he says that "it's not so much ... the posts that you post."

He says that the majority of folks are smart enough not to post anything controversial or incriminating online.

However, he goes on to say that part of his job entails scouring the comments sections of posts. These online dialogues that can be traced back to applicants are what ultimately make prospective employers give pause whenever they are considering a candidate for a position.

Tyler goes on to say that he was performing a background check on a woman who had graduated at the top of her class in one of America's most prestigious universities. Consequently, she was at the top of the application list for the position she applied for.

While using his social media scanning software, he came upon a comment this candidate left on a post about the Minecraft Movie. The video shows a recording of someone yelling a racial slur when a Black character appears on screen in a showing of the film at a Cinemark movie theater.

The applicant commented on the post writing, "I would love to be that guy's friend," Tyler says. At this point in the clip, he gives pause and looks directly into the camera lens, delineating the severe consequences the woman faced for her online remark.

"Because of that you are gonna miss out on your six figure salary and you are now blacklisted from 25 companies. And, when you don't hear back from the 25 companies and you decide to like keep applying for other companies, they're gonna look you up," Tyler warns.

The TikToker continued, "And my stuff that I found about you is going to be like on the front page. And it's gonna say: un-hireable. And then why. So next time you think it's funny to post something, it's really not," Tyler told his viewers.

Going on, he stated, "The second ... biggest issue is the past. A lot of people will post or have commented when they were 12, 8, or 15, about you know something stupid."

As it turns out, social media comments you made when you were a kid can also turn around to bite you in the behind. "Example, last week, there was a dude back in 2013, I believe he was like 11, or 12, commented some anti-Muslim things on ... somebody else's page. He was just commenting on it; he was really young."

Tyler says that he was able to find the comment, and now the guy who made the post isn't going to get hired. "It doesn't matter if you've changed. It doesn't matter if you've converted ... you're just not gonna get hired. So it doesn't matter if you're 8 years old right now, 5, or if you're about to go to high school. If you're in high school, you're in college, you're trying to get out of college, watch what you say," Tyler urged.

He also had a message for parents concerned about their children growing up with social media account access. "Parents, if your kids, if you give them a lot of screen time and they can comment on whatever and do whatever, and you don't have any kind of lock on there, watch what they say," Tyler shared.

He also stated that deleted posts can be unearthed by folks who do a deep enough dive into people's online presences.

"Because that can harm them, and no video is truly taken off the internet, by the way. I found so many videos that were like deleted, but I found them again. They're never truly deleted. So, if you're trying to work in the corporate world or just be a normal person, don't be racist," the TikToker remarked.

"Because I will find it and I will air it out on the corporate AI software page. I can't air it out on here unfortunately, cause I'll get sued and I'll lose my HIPAA and stuff like that. But, stop being stupid. Please, I'm begging you. I've turned down over 50 applications in four weeks. So, that's why you're not getting hired."