Uh, DUH!

Social Media Ethics Briefing: Staying Out of Trouble

I watched this video twice and came to the same conclusions:

1. Duh!


2. What about the hiring process?


3. What about company culture?

My first conclusion and the title of this post may come across poorly; however, as a marketing student who actively engages on social networks and studies ethics in each and every business class I cannot help but say, "DUH!" I walked away from the video thinking, "it's the law, how hard can it be?" Then I noticed that the video was from 2009. A video posted two years ago could be useful, but at that same time it will most likely present a moot argument because these facts have been integrated into our everyday lives, making it common sense. Additionally, the rapidly changing social environment makes new and different issues rise to the surface. A video from two years ago may have a few valid and (now) obvious points, but it is most likely to have been surpassed by bigger issues.

Secondly, it really bothered me that a lot of the finger pointing was towards junior executives who hypothetically got a company into a dirty situation. What about the people managing them, the people who trained them, and the executives that are overseeing the entire company and their strategic policies? I think it's great if you have a company policy and a training program specific to social media, but what does that do if your hiring process isn't hiring ethical people? Policies and training are like band aids that will eventually get ripped off when an employee feels comfortable enough in their position. Additionally, company culture plays a huge role in shaping people's actions.

Lastly, a tie would have made the presentation far more convincing.

Now here's a link to a video that is off-topic but I think it is far more worthwhile (and shorter) about balancing work and life: Nigel Marsh: How to make work-life balance work Video on TED.com