What Are Some of the Protocols You Currently Follow to Ensure You are Portraying an Ethical and Positive Web Presence?

I don’t maintain much of a personal social media presence. I only follow the accounts I do use and rarely post. I play it safe. Professionally, I do not maintain our office’s social media channels but will submit items for posting. We tend to just stick to messages we want students to receive about submitting necessary paperwork, scholarship and grant opportunities and events on campus.

Review One of the Articles from the New York Times and Summarize and Share Your Thoughts with the Group

In Yet Another Vermond Police Chief Quits Over Fake Social Media Accounts, Maria Cramer Details an odd occurrence in Burlington, Vermont in which the the Chief of Police, Brandon del Pozo, was forced to resign after a local reporter discovered anonymous Twitter account which was created to criticize a city resident who had his own blog which has been critical of the department. Chief del Pozo was replaced by the Deputy Chief of Police, Jannine Wright as Mr. del Pozo’s successor. Shortly after Ms. Wright was appointed, she confessed to the mayor that she had also created two anonymous Facebook accounts which were used to criticize the city resident who was the target of former police chief del Pozo’s Twitter account, as well as city councilors. She was demoted to her previous position of Deputy Police Chief the same day she confessed and later put on administrative leave.

Being that Mr. del Pozo and Ms. Wright likely worked closely together and Chief and Deputy Chief of Police, one might assume that they were aware of each other's actions on social media. I would hope that after these two resignations, that the city created (if not already in place) a social media policy. Those that work with the public, as we do in higher education, need to understand that people will often be critical of their work, that comes with the territory. It is never acceptable, even anonymously, to use social media to attack members of the public who may disagree with your institution’s policies.

Cramer, M. (2020, February 11). Yet Another Vermont Police Chief Quits Over Fake Social Media Accounts. Retrieved February 16, 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/11/us/burlington-police-jan-wright-twitter.html

Summarize What Have You Encountered Regarding Social Media and Ethics.

The readings brought up some interesting points about social media which many people neglect to take into consideration. While social media allows us to connect to more people than ever before, there are also concerns. Children are exposed to social media at an extremely young age. There is pressure to use and maintain a presence from their peers. Facebook currently requires users to be at least 15 years of age. Since users just need to confirm they are of age, rather than provide proof, it is likely that many under age children are on the site. Facebook, along with other social media channels can be used frequently by “catfishers” or predators, and may not be savvy enough to see past the flattery, putting themselves in danger. There is also the issue of data sharing.

In order to use these sites, users consent to have their information shared or sold to other companies, usually for marketing purposes. Individuals must also be careful about what they post, as this information can catch up to them, even years later. For example, in 19 Dos and Don’ts of an effective Social Media Presence, it is noted that 41% of employers eliminate candidates whose profiles have references to drugs and alcohol. Users should also be sure to not post content which could be considered offensive.

While not noted in the readings, when offices utilize social media, be careful to restrict access to these accounts. At a previous employer, we had an incident in which another office either gave access to a student worker, or an employee left a social media account open and a student used the department’s account to complain after their state grant was decertified. While it was noticed and taken down quite quickly, it still caused some bad PR for multiple offices. 19 Dos and Don'ts of an Effective Social Media Presence. (2015, August 6). Retrieved February 16, 2020, from https://www.msn.com/en-us/Lifestyle/smart-living/19-dos-and-donts-of-an-effective-social-media-presence/ss-BBlsvnM#image=15