Don’t Judge a Book by its…Facebook Profile?
The Associated Press
As social media policy becomes a more pressing issue for companies facing the digital age, it seems just as important to create a social media guide for businesses when dealing with their employees’ social media presence. There have been many instances of individuals getting fired from their positions because they posted negative content about their jobs on their social networking sites, but I had not heard a story like this before:
On Tuesday the New York Times reported that a Canadian woman who is unable to work due to major depression is getting her disability benefits revoked because photos of her “appearing happy” on Facebook surfaced.
Times Online
“According to a report from CBC News, Nathalie Blanchard, who has been on sick leave from an IBM office in Quebec since “she was diagnosed with major depression” 18 months ago, called her employer’s insurance company, Manulife, to ask why she had stopped receiving her monthly check. Ms. Blanchard says that an insurance agent informed her that photographs she had posted on her Facebook account — showing her apparently enjoying a Chippendales show, her birthday party and a beach vacation — proved that she was not depressed.” [via NYTimes.com]
Ms. Blanchard’s attorney argues that Facebook and its content is hardly a fair judge of someone’s mental state, and this is one of the main issues with this whole ordeal. While we often consider social networks an inseparable part of our identity, the reality is that content on Facebook is only a snapshot of who we are, and is in no way an all-encompassing barometer for our moods, ideas, and personalities. And it should definitely not be used as a diagnostic tool.
Nor is it a fair platform for judging the overall character of an individual. Former employees who have been let go from their positions due to social network issues have come under fire for posting incident-specific content. Broadcasting your hatred of your boss or your mundane tasks to your friends who happen to include your boss is very different from posting non-company related content and having your employer use that against you when you have not violated social media or other corporate policies.
The lesson here: Although social media is an important part of our everyday existence, we can’t become too overzealous in how many and what kinds of assumptions we can take away from this online content. Although there are some instances where content can be very telling, social media can be surprisingly deceptive, so caution is advised.
What I would like to know is why you didnt believe to include things like the other aspect of this situation? You can find a great number of factors that youre missing here that I dont see how you can truly form an intelligent opinion around the topic. Its like you didnt even contemplate that there me be another aspect here. Im kind of disappointed.