Your voice, use it wisely
Just because online social networking is allowing us to say anything we like online, it doesn’t mean we ought to.
In the grand scheme of things, the early years of the twenty-first century will be noted as still early days of the internet.
And if the internet is just taking its first steps, then social networking is barely in its infancy.
So if you’re confused by how online social networking fits into your lifestyle – if at all – go easy on yourself. It’s very feasible that 12 months from now the very term social networking could be superseded by ‘the next big thing’.
Of the various social networking sites, Facebook is the most popular in Australia with almost 6.5 million Australians registered on the site as of August this year. More than half (56%) are female.
And its growth rate is staggering. In the six months up to July 2009, some 1.6 million Australians were added to the site. In terms of age, the 35 years+ segment is growing faster than any other age bracket.
Questions of identity
Typical of infants, online social networking has a knack for disrupting long-established social structures. Lines between public and private, and work and leisure, have been radically blurred in a few short years.
Most people are still grappling with these issues as they log in and wonder, “Just who am I talking to here?”
In November last year Virgin Atlantic probably wished that it had prompted staff to consider this question when it discovered that 13 cabin staff had posted remarks on Facebook criticising the airline and some of its passengers.
In a statement Virgin Atlantic said that the staff had broken policies “due to totally inappropriate behaviour”. All 13 employees were sacked.
The question of audience leads directly into the question of our own identity. Put simply, where does our work self start and end?
Before you click ‘Okay’
Whilst the above cases represent examples at the extreme, they nevertheless indicate the more common dilemma of finding the right space for letting off steam about one’s place of work.
Part of the problem stems from the fact that the internet has either replaced – or offered an equal alternative to – just about every facet of our lives. In various online spaces we shop, pay bills, sign petitions, catch the news, play games, chat, argue and learn. So why not also catch up with girlfriends and swap work tales?
The problem is that social networking sites present some fundamental differences to a private chat at a restaurant or bar. Mainly, you cannot be sure just how private your comments are. Even if they seem private in the context of writing them, there’s every chance that the social networking site could change its inclusion criteria without informing you. Basically, once it’s in the domain, it’s in the domain.
Off-hand remarks can feel casual and spontaneous when writing them, but can take on a larger meaning once published. Consider the fuzzy line that a Montana police officer walked when he updated his Facebook status to say that there should be a law allowing police to take people to jail for being ‘stupid’. The police officer was forced to resign over the post.
The internet is proving to have no concern for the physical dimensions of the real world. Basically, it may not be defensible to argue that if you post something after hours, in your own home, then it’s not work-related.
These problems are being confounded by the rapidly advancing trend for organisations to enter the social networking spheres. As everyone from Nike to your local butcher asks you to ‘become a friend online’, questions of identity multiply.
Let’s say that you work for Toyota, but you become a ‘friend’ of Holden online. Freedoms of association and expression are strong legal defences, but what happens when you start taking an active part in promoting, endorsing and spreading the word on your employers’ competitors? When do these actions start compromising your employment contract?
The bottom line is that there are few legal precedents in this area. With few experts to guide us through the murky maze, and fewer certainties, it’s hard to know what’s going to bite us on the proverbial backside later down the track.
So how do I get by?
Fear, though, need not be a guide. A few basic rules can help us maintain the kind of safety measures afforded in the physical world.
The golden rule is don’t put it in writing – anywhere, even in an email – if you don’t want anyone reading it in writing. Not only can written documents be traced without your consent (as opposed to verbal statements), but they can be radically taken out of context.
Next, if you must put it in the public digital sphere, before you click OKAY consider how various audiences will read it. What would your boss say if they read that you’re faking being sick on the very day that you phoned in ill?
What would your team members think if you posted compromising photos of yourself or others from last week’s office party?
Finally, ask yourself: Is it worth it? Even when there’s no real risk of being fired, what are the consequences of letting off steam online? It’s not that there’s a shortage of online gossip waiting to be filled by your comments on how the boss spoke to you on Friday afternoon.
Remember, your voice is yours and yours alone. Use it wisely, use it clearly.
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In the November 2009 eNewsletter survey, we're inviting you to tell us whether you use social networking websites to discuss work issues. Complete the survey (click here) and enter the running for exciting prizes.
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