My husband and I had a discussion tonight about how social media has affected so many people, not just as a positive collaboration tool for the professional, but as a negative conduit into our personal lives. I thought this might be a perfect opportunity to reflect on how social media “should” be used and how you might want to consider your “brand” or self-product when presenting yourself to the world.
I’m not sure if you’ve had an opportunity to read about the police officer who posted a photograph of himself, posing with gun-toting, teenagers and an anti-Obama T-shirt. At first, I thought it ridiculous the scrutiny given by the Secret Service. But after further reflection, I realized that the police officer brought the scrutiny upon himself, didn’t he? I wanted to say to the police officer, “Where’s your judgment?” His lack of judgment is on display here, not any threat to the life of our President.
Another thing I’ve witnessed lately is the number of disgruntled workers who post about their “shitty” days at work. Um, do you know how many people are out of work who would love to have your job right now? Think about that for a moment.
Commenting about your dissatisfaction at work isn’t very appropriate, and Facebook and other social media are not the places to voice your dissatisfaction. Is it your right to speak your mind? Don’t you have the freedom to express yourself? Sure you do, but those whom you express your feelings toward have that same right, and their freedom of expression, accomplished through professional means, might not be helpful to you or your future.
If you have a problem with your employer, or even some personal issues that are making your life miserable, there’s nothing that screams you are a hazard to your work environment than a posted rant on Facebook.
If you’re feeling slighted at work for any reason, talk it over with a trusted co-worker or go home and sit down to a nice dinner and discuss these issues with someone who has your best interest at heart.
The fact that you have 500 friends on Facebook doesn’t mean that you have an Army ready to support your cause, whatever that might be. They won’t be standing by, ready to offer you a job when you are fired for calling your boss an asshole in your status. Do you remember that friend you added three years ago? She’s a friend of a friend’s mother whose daughter hangs out with your boss’s daughter.
I’m not saying to hide your true self. I encourage people to put their best selves in the public eye. If you feel that you have a great sense of humor and want to post pictures of yourself displaying your funniest faces, go for it! Just remember that your future, potential employers may be looking to hire someone a bit more serious.
Yes, you do have certain privacy rights. Social media is as private as you want it to be, such that the ultimate privacy is to not have an account at all.
Mine is just one, but I'd like to hear your opinions on social media's impact over what we believe to be our Constitutional Rights to freedom of speech.
The government cannot squash speech, but a private employer can. There are cases of people being fired after posting their displeasure about work on Facebook.
ReplyDeleteThere does seem to be a connection between instant gratification and posting personal opinions on social media. It might be cathartic to rant, but it is neither a right nor especially wise. Those who can plan ahead and wait for gratification are less likely to name names in anger.
Speech isn't really free, it comes with a price. ;-)
Very, very true! I'm wondering how you can leverage the positives of social media while fighting (educating) the younger generations who have been brought up in this type of media, believing that it is the norm to vent and rant in order to gain popularity.
ReplyDeleteThis, in the political arena, equates to improper parenting. We slap the hand of our child who cries for attention, yet we pay into systems where the popular indices indicate proper behavior (think Jersey Shore).
We are corrupt in our capital adventures because we reward the media and we punish the middle class folk who ache to change this social acceptance.
I want people who exploit the media for self gratification to fail so that true capitalism can thrive like it's intended. Wow, did I just sound like Romney? :D
What an excellent post! Coming off of a searing argument with a few family members about what I choose to write about makes this post very timely for me! I've thought about this a lot lately and I have to say that I'm just as torn either way. Suppressing what's on our hearts and minds to say is somewhat an infringement on personal liberty, but an ill-placed word can freeze you out of your family and/or job! It's a major player in why I'm backing off the blog train. Too much heat! Thanks for the wonderful post!
ReplyDeleteGreat post, but I don't think there is anything private about social media. If we get offended it's because we dabbled in things we should probably have stayed away from. Makes sense.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I heard someone say online once was that even if you post something and delete it, it's still searchable. The internet is not the place to rant and rave. If I need to get something off my chest, I'll tell my family in private. Because most likely, I just need to rant and then I'll get over it. If you put it up on the internet, your unfiltered rant is there forever. You can't take it back. Not even with the delete button.
ReplyDeleteYou are correct, Desert. There is nothing private about social media. There are those who would like to have a presence, however, in order to speak to the world, it seems that there must be some form of controversy. We all know, where there's controversy, there's a threat to our reputation.
ReplyDeleteIt's like saying, "I want a Twitter account, but I don't want anyone to be able to follow me and I won't follow anyone else." That's like walking out into the middle of your lawn, blind folded with duct tape over your mouth.
Social media has a place and a purpose. But I think it's shown to be a failure with personal, political platforms and soap boxes. I think with public policing of social media, users will get smart about their privacy settings and learn to use the software more productively and less foolishly.
I hope so, because I'd hate for my friends and family to stop using it. I communicate more with friends and family now than I ever have because we're so spread out.
Exactly, Kelly! My poor husband has heard many a rants over mugs of beer. :)
ReplyDeleteThe next day, it's like it never happened. It's the way I think works best.
Thanks for posting this! I couldn't agree more about how we present our thoughts to the world. When it comes down to it, freedom of speech aside, how does it benefit anyone to send that crap out to the public? There is a difference of being honest, "I'm having a rough time," vs. "$@&%$# so and so and life sucks!" If you wouldn't say it in a public conference, you probably shouldn't post it on the world wide web, which is a 100 times more public! Let's spread some positive thoughts anyhow!
ReplyDeleteI'm all for the "if you wouldn't say it in a public conference" statement. Good one, Kellee! :)
ReplyDeleteI agree, we all have a responsibility to be polite and dignified in the manner that we conduct ourselves. If you wouldn't rant about work in your bosses office then don't rant about it on their screen.
ReplyDeleteThe thing about social media is that is means that people like me, have a way to connect to people. I used to suffer from terrible social anxiety, and still have days where I don't want to go out. I still don't like talking on the phone. Still don't socialise much.
ReplyDeleteThe key to it, is moderation, not necessarily of what you say, but of who you're saying it too. I have over 100 friends on facebook and try and figure out everyday who I can remove.
I don't agree that you should've complain about having a crap day at work in this climate, cause you may work hard, love your job, really appreciate your employment, but still have a bad day at work.
I debated whether or not to mix my family and business contacts together on Facebook. In the end I did as figured this way I will never say anything I shouldn't! Lol. I am amazed at some of the photos and status updates on Facebook/Twitter. Honestly some people need a filter!
ReplyDeletePeople definitely need to filter what they say but I know that's impossible. There are so many people out there and each one has a different idea of what is appropriate and what is inappropriate. In real life, I don't swear, at all and one of the things that really bothers me is to see my nieces and nephews on FB with a mouth that if I were their parent, they wouldn't be alive had they used those words in my presence. And these are all ages, from teens to thirties. I am always careful not only of how I say things but what subjects I discuss. If I would not discuss something with a room full of people, most who are acquaintances, I won't discuss it on FB either. However, just today I read one of the most inappropriate discussion between a 30 something wife and her husband about their sex life...on FB...and their kids are their FB friends, too. What are people thinking?
ReplyDeleteI did create a "business only" Facebook profile, but then I never used it because I figure I wouldn't put anything on it different than I do my own personal Facebook page.
ReplyDeleteIf I don't have anything positive to express, I just don't post that day. That policy makes it easy to never slip up and say something I would regret later.
:)
Diane, I awarded you with the Liebster award today. Please stop by to claim it. http://www.renajtraxel.com/2012/01/liebster-award.html
ReplyDeleteThank you! I always wondered how people received these awards. :)
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