Question 4 - inappropriate digital conduct and the effects on society

Article 1

Managing employee use of social media

Social media and inappropriate conduct of employees

Careless use of social media by employees can have a negative effect on the organisation as a whole.

As an employer, you should be aware of and look out for the different instances that could arise.

Negative comments

An employee posting negative comments about other employees, their employer or customers could have a potentially devastating effect on an organisation.

Some examples of negative comments include personal opinions about the organisation, another employee or customer.

Bringing the organisation into disrepute

A much wider audience will be privy to any inappropriate conduct that occurs online. For example, a video uploaded to YouTube could have thousands of views within a short period of time.

Your response to such inappropriate conduct will be dependent on the extent it can be linked to your business and also to what extent it could or potentially could damage your reputation or business.

Bullying and harassment

You also need to be aware of the potential for social media to be used for cyber bullying and harassment purposes.

Bullying and harassment can be defined as ‘unwanted conduct which has the purpose or effect of violating an individual’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment’.

Online bullying and harassment can include:

• social exclusion – limiting interaction to cliques/groups
• posting offensive or threatening comments
• posting photographs or videos

Online bullying may breach your bullying/harassment policy and so should be treated in the same way as if it had occurred in the workplace. If the harassment is related to a particular characteristic of the individual, eg race, gender, etc it is prohibited under anti-discrimination legislation.
Read more on bullying and harassment.

Breach of confidentiality

The duty to preserve confidentiality is part of the duty of fidelity which all employees owe to their employer.  You may also have confidentiality clauses which set out clear rules about the use of company/employee information.
Unauthorised disclosure of company information via social media sites could include details relating to:

• profit/loss accounts
• potential redundancies
• employee personal information
• client details
• details of grievances/internal complaints
• trade secrets

Article 2

Negative Effects of Social Media

Unfortunately, there are a few downsides too to social networking. Many introverts and socially reclusive users place too much emphasis on virtual interaction, and ignore the real world outside. Read on to learn about a few more negative repercussions of social media.

Cyber Bullying and Online Harassment

If you are not careful, unscrupulous people can target you for cyber bullying and harassment on social sites. School children, young girls, and women can fall prey to online attacks which can create tension and distress. If you are a victim of cyber bullying, do not take it lying down, but try to take appropriate legal action against the attacker.

Impact on Productivity

Many companies have blocked social networks on their office Internet as addicted employees can distract themselves on such sites, instead of focusing on work. In fact, studies show that British companies have lost billions of dollars per year in productivity because of social media addiction among employees.

Impact on Privacy

If you are not careful, what you post on the Net can come back to haunt you. Revealing personal information on social sites can make users vulnerable to crimes like identity theft, stalking, etc. Many companies perform a background check on the Internet before hiring an employee. If a prospective employee has posted something embarrassing on social media, it can drastically affect their chances of getting the job. The same holds true for our relationships too, as our loved ones and friends may get to know if we post something undesirable on social networks.

Conclusion

Social media has its advantages and disadvantages as revealed in this article. It is up to each user to use social sites wisely to enhance their professional and social life, and exercise caution to ensure they do not fall victim to online dangers.

Read more at http://www.business2community.com/social-media/impact-social-media-truly-society-0974685#TmRkH1HdFVXUUkc1.99