How many of you use social media through your smartphone? A bit of time on Facebook here. A Tweet or two there. A little Flickr through your favourite photos…
Now, how many of you really think about who is looking at your comments and pictures before you post them?
We didn’t think so.
Broadcasting your latest thoughts and feelings, or that big night out with your friends is easy to do with increasingly quick access to our social networks. But this digital diary is often there for all to see. And when we say all, we mean the entire Internet audience, including your co-workers and employers.
As you will have seen over the last couple of years, there have been more examples of people losing their jobs over their remarks on Facebook, Twitter and the like. Social media policy is even getting employers into trouble too.
Being connected 24/7 is both a blessing and a curse. As a result, it’s never been more important to give a little bit of thought to what you say and where you say it.
Practice what you Tweet
So here are a few tips to make sure you don’t fall into a social snare…
• Think before you post – On a social media site the audience is unlimited and the content permanent. You can post a photo and quickly remove it, but someone can still archive it or make a copy
• Think about who you friend – Only allow those you trust into your social network, and ask yourself if you want your managers and colleagues to see everything you do
• Do it on your own time and with your own phone or computer
• Keep it positive – Social media is great for fostering conversations about a new promotion or company event. But many companies now have departments that monitor social media comments, so anything negative will bring attention your way
• Consider your social media privacy settings – If you don’t already, take some time to figure these out and choose who sees what
What will you do?
It’s often easy to blow these types of incident out of proportion, or make it seem like we live in a Big Brother society where our every move is tracked. But there’s no doubt it’s an issue that raises a few opinions. So we’d like to hear yours…
Are you careful about your social media activity? Has your smartphone led you to spend even more time on your networks? Do you think that you should have the freedom to say what you like without repercussions? Do you think employers should be allowed to follow your activity on social media or use it to decide if you’re the ‘right’ candidate for a job?
Get in touch with your thoughts. And remember, they’re watching you. Maybe.
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