Social Media: Friend or Foe?

Whether we like it or not social media is a part of our everyday life. It impacts presidential campaigns, can be career breakers or even friendship killers. Now don’t get me wrong, I do think there are some admirable attributes to social media. I love being able to see long distance friend’s and family’s lives play out on social media. Cute Halloween pictures, milestones and uplifting comments and educational articles are just a few of the reasons I love social media. But lately I’ve been wondering if social media and people being so connected will be the downfall of society due to what seems to be a lack of restraint and integrity.

Mark Zuckerberg’s 2004 founding of Facebook forever changed the landscape of modern civilization. At the click of a button I can instantaneously get connected with people throughout the world in a personal way. I can read commentary on my “friends” political views, movie and restaurant tastes and a myriad of other information. I can post my own thoughts and feelings on whatever subject I choose for all of my connected Facebook world to read. In many cases this is a delightful experience. I love reading enlightening articles on parenting, how to get my sons to make 30 or higher on the ACT, new recipes and other topics of interest. I can rekindle old friendships and stay in touch with friends and family who live far away. Comedy is one of my favorite genres I see on social media. I love funny videos of kids or popular “memes”.  On a professional note, social media is a great way for corporations to obtain and maintain a “human touch”, if you will, with their customers. They can manage crisis situations such as Southwest Airlines praised handling of the 2011 plane malfunction and subsequent flight cancellations discussed in “Corporate Facebook pages: when “fans” attack” that appeared in The Journal of Business Strategy in 2012. My organization uses social media to convey various messages to patients and caregivers battling cancer. Sometimes the pieces are informative and sometime they serve to inspire or entertain. Companies can also use social media as a platform to promote their products. The BlendTec YouTube videos which made Tom Dickson practically famous are a great example of how social media was able to help an organization develop a human connection on something as mundane as a blender. So social media, if used correctly, can be a friend to an organization. But let’s take a look at examples of when social media is a foe.

Unfortunately, there are multitudes of examples of how poor social media management hurt organizations.  One Bloomingdale's holiday ad in 2015 went viral and caused quite a lot of embarrassment for the company. It seemed to suggest date rape. The ad was pulled. Employees from the Red Cross to KitchenAid have been guilty of accidentally posting to their organization’s social media accounts on what was intended to be for their personal account. Apologies were issued but reputations were damaged. These examples are just the tip of the iceberg and perfect examples of why organizations need to have social media policies and response teams in place. A poorly thought out Tweet can cost an organization money and its reputation.  However, one particular issue I see unfolding on social media is everyone is a critic yet at the same time everyone is easily offended. It’s sort of the mind set “I have a right to express my opinion, however don’t you dare disagree or I will be offended therefore making you a bad person”.  As individuals this sensitive terrain can be hard to navigate but for organizations it is almost impossible. Case in point, Target and their transgender bathroom policy that drew so much attention that once the decision was made they were in a no win situation. They suffered a huge backlash from their decision. 1.2 million people signed a pledge to boycott them. According to CNNMoney.com, ultimately it cost the organization over $20 million dollars to install private bathrooms in many of its stores nationwide on top of lost sales.  Social media was a huge factor in the steam the boycott gained. Twenty years ago had that policy been adopted most people would not have even known about it unless they read a newspaper article or saw an in-store sign. Social media not only gives the general public a voice, it gives them power to take action and create movements. Organizations need to consider that when developing their social media strategies and routinely audit their social media accounts. There’s a fine line to walk in trying to be cutting edge and risking offending a sensitive society. Organizations should consider “how can we create a win for everyone”. When scrolling through social media this morning I saw the CNN.com Live feed where Chicago was dying the rive blue for the Cubs. Only a few minutes in to the live stream people were posting negative comments critiquing the city, questioning the toxicity of the dye and so forth.  Seriously people, it has been 108 years! Let the people celebrate in peace.  

In conclusion, social media can be both friend and foe. Organizations must be diligent in managing its social media strategy and online presence. Slip ups can cost millions and damage reputations. With a fickle opinionated public, organizations must carefully but expeditiously manage criticism and complaints made through social media. Social media can be applied to create human connections with customers and create a sense of community. You can develop strong advocates for your organization through social media. Steven R. Covey said “Wisdom is your perspective on life, your sense of balance, your understanding of how the various parts and principles apply and relate to each other”.  If organizations can have this mindset relating to social media and understanding how it relates to various parts of the organization and society as a whole, they can effectively use social media to promote its organizational core values. Understanding social media is just that-social. It has a life of its own and needs careful consideration before jumping too far out of the box. Below I am attaching a screenshot of a snipit from my Facebook page this morning as a reference to the vastness of content. I’m also attaching one of my favorite moments I posted on my social media accounts-my 15 year old learning to shave for the first time.