I was reminded twice in the last week that Facebook can be a very dangerous thing. Don't get me wrong, I not only enjoy social media but I have found it a great way to share my ministry with others. We do, however, need to be judicious in how we use it. The first incident was a major news story in Dallas. While the second incident did not make the news (it came via a friend) the impact might be more disconcerting.
April Sims was a 23 year old 911 operator for the City of Dallas. She was on the job only a few months. She was hired after the city had received criticism for slow response. As a result they hired numerous new operators. April seemed to be a great candidate since she seemed to be young, bright and enthusiastic. She also evidently came with a strong racial bias. That is what got her in trouble. She posted her comments about that particular racial group and their lack of rational thinking on Facebook. She also violated city policy by posting comments on some of her work experience. Needless to say, her career as a 911 operator was short. Since she was a recent hire and on probation, she could not appeal her bosses decision.
In the second case, a father was fired because of comments his teenage daughter made about his employer. As my friend related, the dad shared with his family some of his frustration at work and that he might be seeking a different job. Daughter took the information and ran with it. "I guess my dad's boss is being an a _ _. Hope he soon finds someone who appreciates him." You never how far the web of social media extend. Somehow... Some way... The boss caught wind and dad was shown the door sooner than he would have liked.
I have come to the conclusion that there is no set answer to the question: When are kids old enough to use social media? In my opinion, there are some adults who don't possess the needed level of maturity, or maybe that is common sense. When it comes to teenagers, we need to remember that we are the parent and they are the child. Hence their use of social media should only come with our consent. It should be directly related to their level of maturity and their track record for making good decisions. If our response is "no," we need to back that up with specific examples of poor choices. Secondly: If we grant teens the right to use Facebook and other social media, we need to establish some guidelines. Who are appropriate friends? What picture are appropriate and what are not? And yes, we will be checking periodically. Last: keep it social. If I go to a party or social gathering I will go out of my way to avoid people who I know have a political agenda. If I want their opinion on an issue I will ask. Otherwise, keep it to yourself. Same thing with Facebook. It is also not the place to make negative comments about other people.
And yes, we do have the right to slip into the roll of consultant if we see adults, including our adult children, using social media in an inappropriate manner. Remember: Consultants offer advice based on their experience and expertise, and they back-off. Ultimately the individual has to make the decision on how they are going to use the information.
No comments:
Post a Comment