Topic 4: Reflection
Topic 4 definitely showed the most varied collection of posts to date. From the ethics behind celebrity endorsements to the relentlessness of social media, this topic proved to be tightly packed with a wealth of different concepts. Social media offers some incredibly powerful tools – we know this after completing all of the previous topics. But how far are we willing to conform to the unrestricted capabilities of the web?
Once upon a time, social media was used to be used purely for personal reasons, such as sharing photos on Facebook. However, people have since realised that social media could also be a great tool in enhancing a professional image, and thus may help you to get a job. Subsequently, employers have cottoned onto this idea, and it is not unknown that can they freely look at your social media platforms to see what you are like outside of the office. Peer learning in this topic has provided me with instances which show that people still continue to post thoughtless comments that seriously affect their work life.
Personally, I don’t believe it is ethical that your professional life could be hindered from saying something within your own personal space, whether it is online or offline, unless it concerns a matter that negatively affects an employer. Realistically, it seems that the moral of the story is to think before you post. It takes but seconds to reread a tweet and decide if it is appropriate to post!
To conclude, Sarah’s analogy of Twitter being a ‘megaphone to those who enjoy shouting’ was sterling in explaining the current state of the platform. Morally, we should be allowed to express free speech on social media platforms, but if you want to maintain a professional profile, there are boundaries that should be followed.
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