Why do people share embarrassing information online?

Oversharing online is becoming more and more common. Webster's New World Dictionary defines the word overshare as "to divulge excessive personal information, as in a blog or broadcast interview, prompting reactions ranging from alarmed discomfort to approval." This lack of inhibition, according to cyberpsychologist John Suler, evolved from the early days of online chat rooms and has spilled over into real life. Now people are sharing personal and sensitive information in face-to-face conversations with co-workers and new acquaintances and taking the same approach in online social networking activities.

In 2008, the University of Florida published the results of a study of its medical students' online activities. The school found that a large number of their students shared information on Facebook that most doctors don't share with their patients [source: Lockette]. Some of the shenanigans included these future doctors dressing like pimps, engaging or promoting excessive alcohol consumption and joining groups with names like, "Why I Hate Medical School." This led to medical schools stepping up to counsel their students on what's appropriate information to share online and what isn't.

For better or for worse, sharing potentially embarrassing information online simply is a sign of the times. Experts say members of Generation Y -- those born between 1982 and the mid-1990s -- experience loneliness from being raised in broken homes, unlike that of previous generations. These teens and 20-somethings gravitate toward their peers rather than their nuclear families for emotional support, and tend to become friends with their co-workers [source: Dahl]. Blend these elements with the fact that Generation Y has collectively grown up communicating with household members and classmates via e-mail and text messaging, and it's no wonder that offline activity makes its way to online social networking sites.

But sharing overly personal information online isn't just for kids -- people of all ages are doing it. For example, a single overshare on Twitter greatly embarrassed the Virginia Republican Party in February 2009. The party was trying to convince a Democratic state senator to switch sides. This would have created a 20-20 tie in the Senate, given the Republican lieutenant governor the tie-breaking vote and handed control of the state Senate to the Republicans -- until the party chairman tweeted details of the standoff [source: Newell]. Then there's French president Nicolas Sarkozy, who found his intimate relationship with then-lover Carla Bruni splashed all over the Internet once she started sharing details of her past online [source: Harrop].

Letting your hair down and venting online is healthy -- within reason. Some sociologists consider oversharing a shortcut to forming close friendships. Showing vulnerability, they say, is like an office icebreaker that speeds up the bonding process. But saying too much or the wrong things online can undermine your plans for college, career or business. Some employers and college admissions directors don't have time to check or don't care; however, others base part of the selection process on what turns up from searching an applicant's online profiles.

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