Social Media and the Workplace: A View from the United States

• Author: Renee Mattei Myers
• Pages: 181-193

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SocialMediaandtheWorkplace

AVIEWFROMTHEUNITEDSTATES

ReneeMaeiMyers*

AINTRODUCTION

SocialnetworkingsitessuchasTwierandFacebookexplodedinpopu-

larityontheInternetsceneinAccordingtoWikipediaFacebook

whichstartedasasocialnetworkforHarvardstudentsonlynowhas

morethanmillionactiveusersworldwideAndTwierhasmore

thanmillionusersworldwideWiththeexplosionoftheelectronic-

allycommunicatedpictureorwordmessagehowevercomeadditional

butnotentirelynewdilemmasforemployers

With the introduction of computers in the workplace employers

began dealing with what constituted proper useofthecompanycom-

puter systemWith t he introduction of the Internet employers began

dealing with what constituted properuseoftheInternetintheworkplace

Employersthenbegantodeveloppoliciesrestrictingtheuseofcompany

computersInshortthegreatertheelectronicinuencethegreaterthe

potentialexistsfordistractionandoutsideinuenceuponanorganiza-

tionAndbecausemanyindividualsaremorelikelytoconfrontother

individualsviathekeyboardratherthanfacetofacetheytendtotype

and click send without full con siderationof the con sequences While

* ReneeMaeiMyersisamemberofEckertSeamansCherinMelloinHarris-

burgPennsylvaniawithafocusonlabourandemploymentmaers

 OnlinehpenwikipediaorgwikiFacebook

 OnlinehpenwikipediaorgwikiTwier