Social media… private or public space?

I recently read about a staff of a leading American airline who not only tattled in the media about his workplace, but was bold enough to record some details, placing the video on YouTube (the number one site for video uploads). He actually mentioned real name, real incidences and even had the effrontery to recount to his audience some hilarious customer interactions. What was most interesting to me at the end of the article was his shock and cry of unfairness when the employment council for the sector wherein he worked asked him to quit.

Of the little over 2 billion people online (internetworldstarts.com), the social media accounts for about 66 percent of this internet traffic. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, e-blogger have all recorded astronomical growth. Nigeria isn’t left out with 4.3 million Nigerians on Facebook, many Nigerian names and lexicons have also trended on Twitter.

The Blackberry messenger is another active communication tool within the corporate working segment in Nigeria, while there was this online rumble recently about employers asking for employees FB accounts details as part of investigations. I didn’t quite believe this however should we choose to lend credence to the “no smoke without fire idiom,” it would infer that whatever you put online without intentionally limiting access can be viewed. This can be viewed by your direct and indirect audience – colleagues, bosses, subordinates, and even potential employers.

Now, if you are as active as my young friend Tolani, your social media activities can range from pictures of you on the beach to a few resume fibs on LinkedIn, to personal expressions on your instant messenger chats… to mention a few.

Incidentally, I love Tolani’s updates, they fully entertain me! However, after viewing Tolani’s hilarious display picture one day, which read ‘My work sucks, find me another.’ I sent her a message to enquire what the problem was. She responded saying she nicked the display picture from a friend as she liked it. My next question to her was if she had her boss as part of her contacts? She responded in the affirmative and quite casually too. This had me very concerned and wondering if these youngsters leave their brains at home sometimes?

I told her I thought it was inappropriate given that she still worked and was getting paid by the company. As far as I knew, she was yet to get this ‘one solution job’ job she sought. I failed to understand why she felt the need to give him ideas of a potentially free head-count when the time was so far away?

As though that wasn’t bad enough, I saw another status update on my contact list which read ‘All Bosses go straight to hell, do not stop at stop.’ This had a picture of a male (presumably the boss with two wicked horns being used as a monopoly play ‘dice.’ Since this was a junior colleague, I didn’t dare ask, lest I’m the one being sent straight to hell. I made a note to handle her with care as no prizes for guessing that with her type, your name can trend in Twitter in one day!

While these tools all allow us express ourselves in real time, I do believe a lot of caution should be exercised. You either keep the boss away from your contact list or have two identities if you must, the controlled one being the one he sees. The venting and be your true self one, you can curse him all you like.

In my line of business, we’ve been taught repeatedly that perception is reality, which strengthens my belief that even this tool of narcissism must be intentionally deployed to send the right message.

Still on perception, you’d agree that on your Facebook, Twitter of Blackberry instant messenger chats, there are people you often look out for their status updates/photos, as you are sure to be inspired, have a healthy laugh or just simply be entertained. The day you find a dour message or look on their display pictures, you just assume they’re having a bad hair day.

A powerful real-time online tool as the social media must be used with some discretion; you must walk with the marketing principle 101 of understand your audience. You don’t sign off as sick at the weekend and leave your location ID on for your boss to see you’re in the Mauritius, while posting pictures of your trip to the Spa for his entertainment. Surely, it’s not best to argue with the boss in the morning and thereafter change your status update to say ‘One day soon, I’d win the lottery and you’d be history,’ supporting with a cheeky tongue out sign.

Numerous stories exist of how improper uses of social media networks have costs people their jobs. What worries me most despite these stories, many still put their foots in their mouths. Tolani’s half valid opinion is that the phone, the message is her private space (it’s not paid for by the company) and so it’s a privilege for her boss to be a part of her contacts. She further explains that in her opinion, if he can see pictures of her boyfriend, family, personal holidays, then he can see her personal vents.

What’s your BB pin? Is a request now almost as random as ‘may I have your phone number?’ Some say it’s impolite to give, if you don’t want this person into your private space. They argue that this isn’t like your phone number where you can ignore the call, on the BB IM for on, you can see when your message has been delivered, read and unanswered.

Tolani’s friend, Uju, who is also a part of this conversation has a different view; she tells me she cannot understand why Tolani cannot simply say to that request ‘I’ve got a challenge with responding to my messages’ or just plain simply delete the person after adding.

Somewhat deceitful, I agree, but she however argues that it can protect your image and in the longer term, your job. 

merrykiks@yahoo.co.uk