NH Business Review Column: Social Media in the Workplace

I recall a debate in the early days of the internet whether it was ethical to make money using this new technology. That discussion sure didn’t last long! Today, tech giants conspire with businesses to inundate us with targeted messages designed to separate us from our hard-earned cash.

How is this working for you? If you are a business owner, is it a helpful way to increase sales?  What about your employees? How much time during the workday are they using social media for personal reasons? Do they get easily distracted from work responsibilities?

It is sad that platforms that promised to bring us together are fostering so much division. Algorithms favor posts that generate emotional reactions, keeping us on line for as long as possible (so we see more ads). If it screams it streams, but if kind pay no mind.    

Jonathan Haidt, writing in The Atlantic (“After Babel – How Social Media Dissolved the Mortar of Society and Made America Stupid”), argues that social media, since 2009, has led to, “the fractured country we now inhabit.” Social media has both magnified and weaponized the frivolous, Haidt declares.  

The potential for social media to breed employee conflicts, on top of distractions, can undermine positive workplace dynamics. So, what is a business leader to do?  

Be clear with employees about reasonably limiting personal cell phone and social media use during work hours. Training can be helpful on how algorithms work, how social media can be addictive and have negative effects on workplace productivity, and ways to adopt personal discipline strategies. For more suggestions, you can read the full column here.