The Circle

Issue date: 3/4/10 Section: Opinion

Media Credit: Heather Staats Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and LinkedIn are all sites used by individuals seeking jobs and by communications institutions looking to reach more people

Dear Circle Staff,

I read with interest Michelle Carpenter's commentary about the risks associated with using social media tools and networks to share information ("Social networking threatens privacy, jobs," Feb. 25, 2010, p. 1). I agree with her cautionary observation that posting pictures, videos, and other personal material on a social network has "come to serve as a way to investigate the personal lives of anyone who is a member." However, before anyone considers canceling his or her Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, Linkedin, blog, or podcast account, consider the value of these tools and the need to balance the risks with the benefits of social networking.

For instance, Marist alumna Laura Dempsey (COM, '06), now an account executive with Middleberg Communications in New York City, recently reported results of a survey of social media conducted by her firm. Among journalists surveyed, nearly 70 percent use social networking sites, 48 percent use Twitter or similar microblogs, 66 percent use blogs, 48 percent use online video, and 25 percent use podcasts. Nearly all of these results represent a dramatic increase in social media use compared to last year's survey results, which suggests that use of social media is becoming much more widespread among communication professionals.

Even more compelling, the survey reported, "more than 90 percent of journalists agree that new media and communications tools and technologies are enhancing journalism to some extent." You can read a summary of the survey results at http://bit.ly/9aApJe. These results tell me and should convince others that you must become familiar with social media tools and networks if you plan to enter any profession that depends upon communication (are there any fields that don't depend on communication?).

For instance, I noticed that the U.S. Defense Department released at the end of February a new social media policy for its millions of uniformed and civilian employees, worldwide. According to the Department of Defense, the policy (summarized at http://bit.ly/cHqb3l) allows information to be shared securely, "providing the balance needed to tap into the capabilities social media networking provides without compromising security."

Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III said that the new policy "recognizes the importance of balancing appropriate security measures while maximizing the capabilities afforded by 21st-century Internet tools."

David M. Wennergren, deputy assistant secretary of defense for information management and technology, added, "the world of Web 2.0 and the Internet provides these amazing opportunities to collaborate."

According to another defense official, "responsible, security-conscious use of social media networks [is] a win-win proposition for the Defense Department and its members, enabling them to take full advantage of the power of social media networking."

I noticed an example of secure and responsible use of social media networking in the aftermath of the recent earthquake in Chile, which created the potential for a tsunami that could have threatened coastal areas like Hawaii. I found it difficult to obtain timely, reliable, and coherent reporting on this issue from traditional news sources. However, when I turned to the U.S. Navy's official Twitter and Facebook pages I found a stream of information and eye-witness accounts, updated every few minutes, about ships deploying, safety advisories, and other useful messages. This information could have saved lives, had a tsunami hit Hawaii - yet the information was shared safely and securely with no risk to people or military operations. See http://twitter.com/navynews and http://www.facebook.com/ChiefofNavalOperations.

Using the policies established by organizations like the Department of Defense and the U.S. Navy, I believe the key is to develop your own personal social media policy or encourage your organization to develop such a policy. This policy should guide use of social media tools and networks in a way that leverages the power of the Web and permits safe, responsible, and secure communication. For instance, before you post that picture, video, or other personal information on the Internet, take a few moments to think of the risks that release of this information might have in terms of personal security, job security, embarrassment or harm to you, your school, your organization, your family, your friends, etc. So, if you don't have a social media policy, isn't it about time you developed one?


Sincerely,
Mark A. Van Dyke, Ph.D.
Associate Professor,
Communication
Marist College

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