Social media is a great tool when utilised correctly, but it can also be very dangerous.
We’ve all done it, when we’ve been ignored in a shop, had a disappointing meal at a café or restaurant, or someone has annoyed us and we want to rant. However, we all need to think before we turn to social media.
More and more people are using social media to complain about companies and air disputes with friends and family. It’s so much easier to type something behind a screen than to say it face-to-face.
Defamation
As a result of this, there has been a significant rise in defamation cases in recent years. Defamation is any statement that is harmful or damages the reputation of another individual or company.
Defamation can be broken up into two types: slander and libel. Slander is a false statement made through spoken communication (for example, giving a defamatory speech); Libel is a written or published false statement (for example, an online review or social media post).
Some law firms have noted a 90% increase of defamation cases since 2018. This increase is down to social networks and people not realising the consequences of what they post. More and more social media content is being used as evidence in court.
It’s important that before you post on social media or online, you consider the impact that it could have on others, but also the impact on yourself. Not only could you find yourself being sued for defamation, negative posts are also harmful to your current and future employment prospects. Your employer can use your social media content against you – more and more companies have a social media policy or include social media issues in their disciplinary policy and code of conduct.
Furthermore, employers on social media check your profiles before they hire you. We as recruiters do this too, before we accept you as a candidate to find work for you.
So, we would like to issue a gentle reminder to be kind on social media and to use it as a positive influence.
If you would like to find out more about using LinkedIn as a tool to stand out to employers, check out our blog here.
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