SOCIAL MEDIA ETIQUETTE

FIRED OVER FACEBOOK? HOW TO ENJOY SOCIAL MEDIA WITHOUT ALL THE RISK

Kim Weller, Queens UniversityChristine Edwards, Mecklenburg County Public Information Office

Facebook Post Gone Wrong

COULD THIS HAPPEN TO YOU?

Kaitlyn Walls

TONIGHT’S TALK . . . What You Need to Know• How to enjoy social media without jeopardizing your job/future

Tips and Strategies • How to use various social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter,

Instagram, Snapchat) safely to build positive relationships & network

WHAT IS SOCIAL MEDIA?

The use of electronic and internet tools for the purpose of sharing and discussing information and experiences with other people.

FACEBOOK Facebook has 1.04 billion daily active users on average for December 2015 Who uses Facebook: EveryoneWhy do people use Facebook? To find and share information, photos, links and videos and connect with family members, or just to pass the time Post: A Facebook post or “status update” is a message is a comment, picture or other media that is posted on the user’s Facebook page or “wall.”

Like: Clicking Like below a post on Facebook is an easy way to let people know that you enjoy it without leaving a comment.

Friend: A Facebook friend is someone who is connected to another person through the social networking site. Usually, Facebook friends are users the site who knew each other before joining the site or who know each other outside of the site

Tag: The post you tag the person in may also be added to that person's Timeline. For example, you can tag a photo to show who's in the photo or post a status update and say who you're with.

What are the risks? • Geo tags• Check in • There’s a time and a place for everything

SCENARIO 1The interests section on Facebook is an opportunity to share your hobbies with your friends and connect with related resources. For example, many people have "listening to music," and “traveling" listed as an interest.

But when you are a teacher, stating an interest in "teaching chitlins in the ghetto of Charlotte," you may be taking the humor a bit too far. Of course, chitlins are a soul food dish, and so the phrase has a direct racial connotation. Citing the inappropriate implication of such remarks, the local elementary school teacher was placed on leave in 2008.

SCENARIO 2Just a few days after the Feb. 12 shooting at the University of Alabama, professor Gloria Gadsden of East Stroudsburg University stirred up controversy with her Facebook status asking, "Does anyone know where I can find a very discrete hitman? Yes, it's been that kind of day." The university took immediate action and terminated her.

SCENARIO 3 Georgia high school teacher Ashely Payne posted pics of her vacation to Ireland and the Guinness Brewery. Posing with pint in hand, the local school board felt the images were enough ground to fire her.

Payne said, "I was just doing what adults do and have drinks on vacation and being responsible about it." She went on to sue the district, with her case set for trial this fall.

WHO CAN SEE WHAT? YOUR FACEBOOK PRIVACY SETTINGS

BEFORE YOU POST

Read

Breathe

Wait

TWITTER Twitter has 140 million active users Who uses Twitter: everyone, celebrities, news stationsWhy do people use twitter: to receive information quickly and connect with people on a highly public social media networkWhat are the risks? • Cyberbullying• Geotags• 13 people who got fired over a single tweet

TIPS FOR TWITTERBe careful who you “follow” and “Retweet”Keep business separate from private life“Protect” your tweetsBe mindful of location settings

TEXTING, SNAPCHAT, INSTAGRAM

What are the risks?• Forwarding• Screenshots• Recovered messages• Geo tags• Hacking

TEXTING, SNAPCHAT, INSTAGRAMTips• No “Sensitive” Content• Never share your password

(email too!)• No “remember me”• Turn off GeoTag?• Think before allowing “3rd party” app

access

TAKEAWAYS

What guidelines did you learn today?

Things to remember • Privacy settings• Think before you post • Remember that your online activity reveals

a lot about you

TAKEAWAYSThen…“Never put in writing anything that you wouldn't want read in open court or by your mother.”

Now…“Never put in electronic form anything that you wouldn't want viewed by a million people, including your colleagues, students, and supervisors . . . and your mother.”

What is one thing YOU will do to prevent risky behavior on social media?

MY PERSONAL PROMISE

SOCIAL MEDIA ETIQUETTE

FIRED OVER FACEBOOK? HOW TO ENJOY SOCIAL MEDIA WITHOUT ALL THE RISK

Kim Weller, Queens UniversityChristine Edwards, Mecklenburg County Public Information Office