Nothing is private on social media, not even when you try to ensure that it remains private by using closed groups or anything. Surprises on social media could be pleasant at times, and sometimes they may be definitely unwelcome. Like yesterday, someone tagged me to photo on Facebook without any knowledge of mine. When I checked my mail (that is my username for my FB account), I saw some 15 comments on that photo. The comments were not that good, worse some thought that I had posted that photo. However the good thing was that I could immediately clear the air by posting a comment and ensured that I could be untagged from the photo. Despite this the experience was not all that sweet. My right to express should not be hijacked by someone else who tags me to something that I neither know nor do I subscribe to.
Social media is a unique many to many communication tool that ensures messages, comments, news, events etc. becoming viral on the web in matter of minutes or hours. The impact is huge. The power of social media is unmatched and profound. It has given people like Justin Bieber superstardom status.
Having said this, from a user point of view one needs to be a little careful about one’s social media activity. Whatever one shares on social media could reach many intended and also to many more unintended in very less time. I am all for the free nature of social media. But I think both individuals and companies need to be careful of their social media activity that it does not breach any other individual’s liberty. No one has the right to trespass on the liberty of others, as much as they have right to protect their own.
Take for instance, late last year a British body that helps improve relationships with workers warned employers that they could end up being sued if they use sites like Facebook to spy on the private lives of their employees. The body found that some companies were using social media and web to glean personal information like religious belief of their employees and using it against them. While social media offers employers an opportunity to pre-qualify their candidates before hiring using social media and web information, technically called backchannel referencing; some companies seem to be trying to get hold of the personal information of their employees.
4 comments:
With regards to the social media, is it possible for the government to pass a LAW/ACT pertaining to social media like PF, ESI ,Industrial Disupte Act etc!
Hi Dev,
I don't know whether that would help. Social media by it's design cannt be controlled or regulated.
Social norms dictate social media norms. So I guess many times social media activity is a reflection of the society that we live-in.
The best thing about social media is that you have as much opportunity to express as anyone else and hence if some one tries to encroach your liberty you can defend the same. No other media platform offers such an opportunity.
Cheers,
Debashish
social media has its good sides sir but undoubtedly this tendency to misuse freedom is quite common. and it needs to be stopped. the media in general and the social media in particular are of the opinion that they are a law unto themselves. and this is manifest in many ways. recently justice markandeya katju wrote an article about the media and its unwillingness to come under restraint. i feel its time the fourth estate and the social media were subject to restrictions.
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/article3374529.ece?homepage=true.
the arguments here are for mainstream media but it should be applied to social media. freedom of speech comes with the caveat that one does not infringe on the privacy, dignity of others.
dear sir
http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-04-18/news/31361544_1_social-media-electronic-media-regulation
here also in the economic times article justice katju is advocating regulation for social media. maybe there will be difficulties in implementation but at least the fear of the law will be there. in the absence of laws, a nightmarish anarchic world can result as justice katju explained.of course the modalities of the regulatory mechanism will be a bit more complex to implement but it can be done. checks and balances against misuse and sppedy justice are needed
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