The following is from another G.1440 Guest Blogger: Laleh Malek, eBusiness Professor and Director of Professional Experience at Towson University…
As a teacher of e-Business, I talk about Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and other social media applications frequently, but I have been deliberate in my adoption of these tools.
I’ve been a part of Linked in, and consider myself a satisfied customer, but found myself hesitant to jump headfirst into the Facebook phenomenon that’s grown 175 million strong – as noted on April 9 in the NY Times.
As an e-business professor, I actively witness the effect of social media on my students. When I walk into my classes, all the computers are on and a large percentage of the class is viewing their Facebook account. This generation perceives Facebook as a way to post and view photos, make connection to friends and stay in the know as to what is going on, which fits in perfectly with the mission of the company: “to give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected.” Not only do my students love posting messages but also the instant messaging capabilities. So recently I decided to join Facebook and learn of the power it has over so many active users firsthand.
It is truly a great tool to connect. I have been able to connect with my friends in the US and abroad. With not enough time in the day, it has provided me with the opportunity to quickly update my friends on what is happening in my life. And most recently, it allowed me to connect a hardworking student to one of my employer friends.
However, with the positive comes the negative. Each Facebook user also opens the door for employers to access information posted on the page – a subject that I’m keenly familiar with as the liaison between the business community and business college. When posting information, you are providing full visibility to others. Recently, I mentioned to my class the idea of business etiquette in social media. One student responded, “it is my page, I should be able to post anything that I want.” However, with the expansion of technology, when do we draw the line and realize the impact of it on our lives? Is it time for us to realize that as we brand ourselves on social media that we need to follow social media etiquette. Etiquette could simply be what if you mom wanted to be your Facebook friend? Would you still have the same content out there? Ironically, in a recent posting by one of my Facebook friends, he asked the same question. Should he let his mom view his account?
Laleh Malek is the Director of Professional Experience and teaches Principles of eBusiness at Towson University, College of Business and Economics. The Facebook page for the College is CBE Towson.