Social media is fast becoming the favorite method for people to communicate with each other and with businesses. While some believe this method is a passing phase, it has definitely become a vital part of our lives today. It has also become an inevitable part of all communication mediums. It has become a trend to look up to social media when making decisions and while making purchases. As such, if you wish to enhance your business, social media would be one such medium to explore.
It cannot be denied that social media have played a major role in the growth of internet usage. While one segment of the populace is utilising the platforms for obtaining information and news, social media websites have also swiftly emerged as a major platform for political discussions and debate. Among the most prominent recent examples of social media misuse and its impact which had cut across various international borders was the cyberbullying case in Canada, which served as a wake-up call for various users to initiate positive measures to curb cyberbullying.
The Canadian case study has lent a new light on how people misuse social media for purposes of bullying. In a disturbing incident, a teen had created a viral video clip where he was torturing an unconscious woman in the woods. The woman had apparently passed out drunk at a roadside and the victim, whose identity is unknown, had recorded the act with her cell phone camera. The video went viral with the help of several social media websites within a short span of time, and within a few days it had gone viral, and was being circulated as far as YouTube. Within a week the identity of this particular girl was being widely known across various communities, and the cyberbullying had reached epidemic proportions.
Social networking sites have their own limitations to what they can do. It cannot be used to identify, locate, or alert people about unlawful activities like stalking and voyeurism (trespassment). However, abuse of social media by employees is becoming a growing concern because such information can end up being misused by employees in the name of taking revenge, or even as part of a harassment campaign. For instance, an employee may misuse his/her Facebook account to post intimate pictures of themselves that they would share with someone they knew. Such posts could lead to legal action against the employer and could potentially tarnish the reputation of the employer in the professional and social circles. Such images can also be used by terrorists to recruit spies and inform on upcoming operations.
Misuse Of Social Media by Employees: What Is It and How To Go About Preventing It? Social media sites are a great way to stay connected with friends and family, and many people use these sites every day. Unfortunately, they can also be a breeding ground for workplace harassment and other inappropriate activities. In many cases, these issues are not brought to light due to fear of what will happen if the posts are reported. Employees who misuse social media sites can go viral, quickly spreading across the internet in a matter of hours, if not minutes. Within hours, many people will have read the offending posts and took the story to their workplace, or other social media site.
It's important to talk to managers and young people working in the same field to discuss ways to prevent the problem from becoming bigger. It's also important for companies to monitor social media sites to make sure that the right users are allowed to enter digital footprints. Employers need to ensure that all employees are following basic rules of conduct on digital footprints, and that they don't abuse their access to digital technology in any way. After all, the purpose of digital media sites are to make the world a better place.