Social Media, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly...

Photo by: Rachel Johnson

Social Media  

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly…

You’ve read ad nauseum about social media. Heck, you may even use it ad nauseum. 

Even if you aren’t on social media, you are undoubtedly exposed to it. So, here goes with my two cents on this less-than-a-score (some of you will have to look that up…I date myself) - year–old phenomenon…

First THE GOOD:

• Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, even TikTok, et al. Great ways to connect and re-connect with both new and old (catch the double entendre) friends. Confession: I like that aspect of social media, and I think it’s good.
• Social Media can help you promote your business and your just cause (to steal a phrase from Simon Sinek in a book I’d highly recommend, The Infinite Game).
• More and more, various platforms have become the go-to for employers to learn about job applicants – a valuable tool for the employer. This leads to the bad…

THE BAD:

• If you are that job applicant, what you put on social media is kind of the digital version of writing with a Sharpie – a permanent marker. Your posts are there for the 2 P’s: the PUBLIC and POSTERITY.
• Whether it’s COVID or the elections, social media has led to more and more divisiveness and hostility in our 21^st-century world. Hiding behind a screen can make us as bold as the boldest. And people don’t hold back, do they? Social media is polarizing in this respect. We need to come together rather than continue to move further and further into our “corners of the ring.”

THE UGLY:

• Oftentimes unwittingly, people make a statement or post something on social media that may go beyond a poor reflection on them personally. It can reflect on family (your family name is there on your post for the world to see). It can reflect on your family business. Who’s watching out for this? Many of you deal with city, county, even state governmental agencies. If your post is remotely interpreted as hostile or adversarial to the powers that be, what is the long-term cost to your business? Might you lose business or dare I say lose your business entirely? These posts are not just your personal opinions. Readers connect them to your company.

There truly are some things that are better left unsaid…In social media terms, there are things better left unposted. This is kind of like the email you type (often in anger…am I right?) that you sleep on overnight. You end up not pushing the SEND button. The emotion subsides and a cooler head prevails. Who is your go-to person for the “sleep on it” approach when it comes to social media?

Sleep on it…You’ll be glad you did!