Considering how heavily intertwined and integrated social media is within contemporary society, I consider myself to be a fairly digitally literate individual because I am very conscientious as to what I post and what opinions I share. While studying in my undergrad, I learnt how social media has impacted people’s lives years later when “skeletons in the closet” emerged to haunt the present, costing them political and corporate executive careers. Since that class, I have aimed to keep a low profile on social media by carefully curating what information is connected to me whether that be articles I share, opinions I write, or pictures I post.
Although I don’t have any personal experiences of the negative effects of social media, I am quite familiar of companies that have had enormous backlash from the public in response to their tweets or advertisements due to their poor discretion and lack of digital literacy. One company that comes to mind is Adidas. The company sent out an email to runners that completed the 2017 Boston Marathon with the subject reading “Congrats, you survived the Boston Marathon.” This follows the horrific tragedy that took place during the 2013 Boston Marathon whereby 3 people were killed and 260 were injured. As a result of this poor PR decision, social media erupted with backlash due to the company’s lack of sensitivity. Evidently, this demonstrates that digital illiteracy can cost a company millions.
Currently, I like to keep in touch with friends and family on Facebook and Instagram, and for industry updates and professional purposes, I use Twitter and LinkedIn. However, this article was a good reminder to be mindful as to what is posted because it can have catastrophic repercussions to not only one’s career but also one’s reputation as illustrated in the case of Justine Sacco.
Christina