In the days before the Internet and email, some peoples’ biggest problem was having a thought, speaking it, and then wishing they could take it back. In those days, while others could repeat what you said, there was no permanent documentation that you had said something embarrassing or otherwise damaging to your reputation.
And then came the Internet. The new pattern: Think it … type it … hit send. I would have thought that somewhere between “type it” and “hit send” folks would take two seconds to take a breath and think about what they’ve typed before sharing it. Yet, it almost seems as if the disease has worsened. We write and send emails in haste when we should write them, let them sit, and then re-read them before we hit send. Or, wait until we have cooled off before even drafting the email. And that’s the beauty of email. You can get your thoughts out immediately and then pause to be sure you want to permanently document what you are about to say. Let’s be honest, in today’s times of archiving, mirroring and everything else, it’s nearly impossible to fully delete what we share over the Internet.
Now social media is playing an even bigger role in peoples’ inability to censor themselves. Apparently, the drive to share all of ones thoughts with the rest of the listening world is much stronger than the need to use a little discretion. I recently read Jeff Bulla’s blog entry, “11 Ways to Lose Your Job on Facebook,” and I am surprised that even though use of the Internet has been widely popular for about 20 years (giving us about 20 years worth of examples for blog posts on this topic), people are still not using caution when posting to sites such as Facebook or sending emails.
Even so, here are a few of my tips for using discretion with the Internet:
1. If you wouldn’t print it in the newspaper or in a magazine, you shouldn’t post it on the Internet. Why? Because even though you may protect your accounts, it is still likely that it could be read by an audience larger than if you did actually print it in the newspaper. And, as mentioned above, it’s just as permanent. Maybe more so.
2. Take a moment to consider if the time of day you are posting is appropriate. Is there anyone who could read your post who knows you should be doing something besides spending time on Twitter or Facebook (like your boss)?
3. Take a moment to consider if anyone could read your post whom you do not wish to share the information with. You may not be friends with your boss on Facebook, but you may be friends with a co-worker who is friends with your boss. If your co-worker comments on your post, your boss will likely be able to read what you posted. Also, take a moment to consider what you post on a friend’s wall. For example, if you work in a doctor’s office, you probably don’t want to post on a friend’s wall, “Hey, I noticed you have an appointment with Dr. So and So tomorrow.” (This is a fictitious example.) This is a violation of HIPAA and you could lose your job. And possibly lose your friend if your friend didn’t want to share that he had a doctor’s appointment.
4. Pause long enough to re-read (maybe even aloud) what you are about to post after you type it. I have typed many status updates into Facebook only to backspace when I realize I don’t really want mass people to know what I am about to say. If there are a few people I still want to share the information with, I opt for Facebook’s email feature or a text message. And if the information is really sensitive, I use the phone to make a phone call or two. There are just some things that shouldn’t be put in writing because you never know when software may glitch, you may be hacked, or a site such as Facebook will decide it owns your data.
All of this brings me to say that while it would be nice if we could separate our personal and professional lives, it’s an unreasonable expectation in these times of using social media. If you share yourself publicly (Facebook may offer some privacy protection, but really, it’s still sharing in a fairly public way), then it’s fairly unreasonable to expect that a) your boss won’t find out and b) your boss can’t use it in determining if you are a fit employee. In fact, by the very nature of the word private, I don’t think it has any place in the term social media.
Do you have a personal experience you wish to share involving a social media faux pas?
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