Social media is a funny thing in that it seems to bring out the worst in some people. Even if you remove politics and religion, some people feel that they have the right to say exactly what they think even if that is down right hurtful to others. I’ve seen this
Social Media Logos
in Tweets and Facebook posts (or comments), but mostly in blog comments. It’s as if one has the right in social media to cyberbully.
While I am certainly an advocate of freedom of speech, I also am a pragmatist. What you say has power and every choice has a consequence. The challenge with social media is that many use the open available forum as a place to release pent up emotions – release angers, get revenge, seek justice. The problem with expressions that are off the cuff and not well thought out is that they create consequences that often are unintended.
Where are Ethics in using Social Media?
Of course while email is still used as the dominate means of electronic communication, many say that that form of communication is dying. How many times in business have you found that self-monitoring would have been quite useful.
I recall working with a customer back in the day when I was active in the death care business. This man’s wife had been killed in a car wreck. He survived. He was one of the toughest customers I ever had to work with. Mind you I was pretty good and keeping my cool, but eventually he got the best of me. He was demanding in ways that most could not imagine. Long story short…I sent an email to one of our vendors pleading with them to get me the color samples this man was demanding. In that email I said (and should not have) that he would drive Jesus crazy.
When I got the response from the vendor with the information this man requested I was so happy I forwarded it to him. OOPS. You guessed it, I forwarded the email stream where I said he’d drive Jesus crazy. Now while I do believe that to be true…it was something that I should have self-monitored and not have said.
Fortunately the email was between the customer, me and of course, my boss. I kept my job but only by the skin of my teeth. The bigger question today is the reach when we don’t monitor our comments and opinions on Social Media.
Ethics in Social Media
Ethics is all about what we do when no one is looking. A good rule of thumb when it comes to what you post or comment on in social media is to ask yourself “How would I feel if what I say or videos I act in make it to the front pages of the Wall Street Journal. Would I be proud for all to see? Would I want my grandmother or future children to see it?”
The most powerful deterrent to making stupid and potentially unethical choices when it comes to social media is to hit the pause button. Stop what you’re doing. Step away from your tweet, or your device. Take 30 minutes and then re-read your comment or thought. While many would have you believe that speed is the end all in social media, the opposite is true. You can’t take back stupid. Just because you have the right to do it doesn’t mean that doing it is right. There’s a big difference and one that many should consider more often.
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