Social Media: Pros and Cons

In the early part of the 21st century, social media has become a staple in the culture of society. Teenagers and adults alike constantly check their Facebook timeline for the latest status updates, browse Instagram for the most recent photos and search Twitter for the most popular trending topics. Just like all  things in life, social media has some advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages to Social Media:

1. Social media allows users to have a worldwide connectivity. It allows a person to connect with other people they haven't seen or talked to in a very long time. It can also introduce users to people they haven't met before. Facebook, among all the others, can help lead a person to find job opportunities, meet love interests and track down product and service referrals

2. Social media allows users to find others with a common interest. Facebook and other forms of media allow you to like or join groups that you may be interested in. This will allow users to meet others with the same interest, creating communication opportunities.

3. Facebook, along with all of the other forms of media, can provide a great promotional tool. Are you trying to promote your local DeMolay Chapter? DeMolay Chapters across the world have created Facebook pages allowing members to connect and promote the activities they have to offer.

4. Information travels at an incredible speed through social media. News topics are promoted on the internet shortly after an event takes place. Facebook, Twitter and others help spread that recognition even faster.

Disadvantages to Social Media:

1. As I stated above, news travels fast. This often times allows false rumors and news headlines to surface. People will share a topic before finding out whether the information is accurate.

2. Although social media can bring people together, it does not have the power to force them to interact with each other in person. Personal social skills are often lost because we're too focused on social media and the internet,

3. We're always told to think twice before acting. With social media, the lesson should be to think twice before posting. Once information is on the internet, it can't be taken back. Employers have access to Facebook as well and often times check a person's page before hiring them. Although it may not seem fair, colleges and employers may use information found on that page to determine whether to accept an application or decline one.

4. Bullying has always been a worldwide problem, but social media introduces a new form of torment; cyber-bullying. As the title describes, this is bullying taking place on the internet and social media for the whole world to see. This can often times be a problem for our youth of today.


These are just a few of the advantages and disadvantages of what can be an ongoing topic. So what should we take out of this post today? It's very simple; be cautious of what is being posted on the internet. Think about the effects of what is being posted on social media before you post it. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and others can be essential tools to help us grow in our lives, if used properly and not abused.

Until next time - "Dad" Joe Pullin
     

Once more into the breach, my friends!

It appears that a specific topic has reared its head once more in DeMolay - the use of social media and how it reflects on the organization. We've covered the perils of social media on this blog before, in a couple of different ways, so I'm not going to spend a lot time discussing the specific things one should do to be safe on social media. Rather, I'd like to take the time to approach this from a "corporate" standpoint and address how organizations are managing this area.

Often, we find that the ideals an organization hopes to engender with their social media policies often end up at odds with the real world. It's great to outline a hard line policy, but how you put those words into effect (or fail to do so) can make or break a company or group. I did a little internet search and found some good resources that discuss these problems, that I wanted to share.

First, we have an article entitled "16 Social Media Guidelines Used by Real Companies." These are VERY good starting places for anyone looking to manage social media within an organization. They are realistic and set the correct tone. A company can't expect to completely control the behavior of its employees when they aren't at work, but asking them to be sensible and not impugn the company in their daily life is fair.

On the other end of the spectrum, we have some of the polices outlined in this article, "5 Noteworthy Examples of Social Media Policies." Some of these companies are a little stricter - and quite frankly nuts. I don't know of anyone who is going to put a disclaimer on every social media post, stating that this is their own view and not the view of the company they work for. That's just silliness.

The best article I found was this one, "10 Social Media Policy Musts." In the article, the author outlines the 10 things that a social media policy should try to cover and explains why they are important. I would encourage DeMolay International, DeMolay Jurisdictions, and even Chapters to consider all of the points in this article.

As a former HR wonk, I have to point out one important detail that none of these articles discuss - the fact that a policy has to exist to hold someone accountable. I spent several years working in HR. I learned, rather quickly, that you can't hold an employee to a standard that has not yet been set. If an employee finds a loophole, you just have to let it go and set a new standard that addresses the issue. Making a martyr out of one person in a crusade to dissuade further behavior only looks bad for the company and puts you at risk for legal action. I experienced this first hand with an employee incident that I managed, and learned a lot from. That's all we can ask of ourselves and our leaders - continue to learn and grow!

Frat! ~ "Dad" Seth Anthony

What have you put out there?

As part of our Youth Protection program, we address the issue of internet safety. In many cases this means identifying bad online situations and getting out of them. However, there is another important part to this topic - that of identify theft and personal history. This video speaks for itself and might make you think twice about your online presence.

Just something to think about... for DeMolays and adults alike!

Frat! ~ "Dad" Seth Anthony

I need a tissue because we have an issue...

Morning folks!

I am typing this post from my trusty HTC Hero Android phone. Why you ask? Well, we have some technical difficulties here at the PA DeMolay office resulting in a complete lack of an internet connection. So, this means that web and blog posts are on hold for a few days and that if you need to contact us your best bet is to use a good, old fashioned, telephone call (meaning we are also out of email access.)

Regularly scheduled posts will resume when our connection returns.

Frat!~"Dad" Seth Anthony

P.S.- Pretty good for a phone, eh?