Social media demystified

Page rating is disabled for this content.

Social media—you hear about it whether you're talking about business, politics or "what kids nowadays are getting up to." The hype is hard to escape. But what is it exactly? How can you get in on the fun? And what do you need to be aware of when you're using social media? Read on for a primer before you post your first status or tweet your first selfie^{Footnote 1}.

In simple terms, social media is web-based communication that allows users to interact with each other. Traditional websites offer only one-way communication; you can receive information, but not respond to it. Social media websites allow you to receive information as well as immediately share information with a wide audience (as big as the social media world) or a small audience (one person).

Just like your first time merging into traffic on a busy highway, entering the world of social media can be daunting. But if you learn the rules of the road ahead of time and pick a lane that suits your abilities and interests, you might well enjoy the experience.

One of the most popular reasons for using social media is for keeping in touch with family and friends, especially long-distance ones. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Google+ are all wellsuited to this purpose. All provide easy ways to create personal content (your own thoughts) and to share website links, photos and videos (yours or someone else's) with individuals or with everyone, depending on settings you choose. They automatically deliver content to your personal home page that meets criteria selected by you, such as postings from specific people or businesses.

If you want to network professionally, LinkedIn is the place to go. It is something like an interactive, online résumé. You create a profile that includes current and past jobs, your skills and any professional groups or associations that you belong to, and then add people that you know to your list of connections. Your connections may endorse some of the skills that you have listed, and you may endorse theirs. Through your personal network of contacts, you can get introductions to second-degree connections (those people connected to your contacts). LinkedIn also includes online discussion groups for various special interests.

If photography is the passion you want to share with family or the world at large, you may want to explore Flickr. It is a free application for photo storage (up to 1 terabyte) and sharing. You can share privately with specific people or publicly. If you want to share videos of performances (maybe you are the proud parent of a budding circus performer), YouTube offers the same features as Flickr, only for videos (no longer than 15 minutes each for basic accounts).

Do you find photos online of do-it-yourself projects, recipes or heaven-on-earth vacation spots that you want to bookmark for "later"? Pinterest is your organizing friend. It is a virtual scrapbook where users "pin" articles, photos, links to websites, etc. to virtual bulletin "boards"that are categorized. Pins are automatically made public, though you can choose to create secret boards for your private use.

Creating an account on one or more of these websites allows you to "lurk" (see other people's posted content without posting anything yourself), giving you time to get comfortable with the environment. To get the full benefit of lurking, you need to "friend" or "follow" other users— family or friends on Facebook or Twitter are generally safe places to start.

Of course, you must also be cautious. The strength of social media—immediate communication directly with a large number of people—can also be its biggest drawback. Once something is posted on Twitter, for example, it is immediately public. If you want to post goofy photos of you dressed as a baby at your last Halloween party, understand that your colleagues, bosses and kids may see it, whether the same day or years from now. As well, the opportunity to reach vast numbers of people at once is a lure for scam artists. Setting and regularly reviewing privacy and other settings will help protect you, but it can't stop everything. Remember, just as in real life, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

Finally, as a federal public servant, always remember that, even when you use the Web for personal use, you are bound by the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Sector and ESDC's Code of Conduct, whether you access the Web with office equipment or your personal home computer, tablet or smartphone. Adhering to our Duty of Loyalty means that we may not publicly criticize the Government of Canada, ESD or its policies; we must avoid statements that would appear to impair our ability to perform official duties; and must respect confidentiality and privacy. For more information, check out the Social Media Handbook.

Social media is wonderful tool for connecting you with people and information that matters to you. Ensure that your privacy settings protect you, follow the guidelines related to public service values and ethics and enjoy the fun!