Social media issues

Warning: Social Media Addiction Could be Damaging Your Health and Your Work

You just got that new job you were looking forward to, as you sit down at your desk you decide to take a quick glance at what you missed on social media while you were travelling to work. Your primary school friend just bought a block of flats, your favourite influencer just posted about how “business is the way to go, jobs are a waste of time”, and everyone just seems to be doing so well and achieving their goals with ease. Suddenly your new job doesn't seem so great after all and you feel left behind. A strange alert on one of the platforms informs you how you won't last in this new position and it brings you back to reality. You just spent 2 hours in the digital world and you return to the real world mentally drained and filled with anxiety.

This scenario is not unfamiliar to some employees. Social media is a tool used by many to express themselves. Users are free to share their lifestyles, beliefs and opinions with no requirement that what they communicate in this regard must be true. Hence, social media users sometimes paint a false picture of a perfect life when it is in fact not their reality. 

Impact of social media on mental health

Generally, people have no idea whether all that they see on social media is a true reflection of what is happening in the lives of others, but it still has an impact on the viewers' lives in different ways:

>  you might feel trapped in comparing cultures;

 > it might feel that you have lost appreciation for your own achievements;

>  your productivity at work can be affected; and

 > you are open to being a victim of cyberbullying.

The ripple effect of all this can impact a person's mental health. In the context of the workplace, employees can compound the pressures of social media on one another by using it for bullying and harassing tactics. 

An employee being a victim of cyber bullying and harassment in the workplace can report the matter to the human resources department, apply for a protection order or even open criminal charges if the actions are of a criminal nature. 

Tech companies can also be compelled to participate in the protection of social media users against harassment and bullying. The laws have developed in such a manner that courts can now order the social media platform used to remove the offending post and provide the particulars of the offender who made the social media post, if they are not known to the complainant. 

 It is no wonder that most social media service providers now have rules by which users should abide to avoid their social media accounts being suspended or permanently blocked. These rules may allow for a victim of bullying or harassment on the platform to approach the service provider with a complaint, even without court intervention, for the removal of offending communication. 

It should be remembered that the mental health concerns arising from social media can also impact an employee's employment relationship. While self-expression on social media is not illegal for employees, they must be careful not to infringe on other laws and the rights of others in the process of expressing themselves. There are real-life cases of employees who have faced disciplinary action and some who lost their jobs because of social media posts. 

While there are employees who use social media to bully each other, some employees would put something out as a means of venting about how their workplaces are affecting their mental health. Unfortunately, both posts can be used against an employee if the employer decides to charge them for bringing the company's name into disrepute or harassment. The ripple effect is that the social media post, which was triggered by a mental health concern, can lead to further mental health issues due to the emotional stress which may come from disciplinary hearings and job loss. 

The employer's rights and responsibility

Workplace issues often require the employer to intervene. Accordingly, employers have a role to play when it comes to the use of social media in the workplace. Some studies have found that irresponsible use of social media in the workplace not only decreases productivity in terms of consuming time but also because of the psychological effect it can have on employees. 

Employers may assist by implementing workplace policies which regulate and encourage the responsible use of social media in the workplace. A workplace policy which limits the use of social media during working hours may increase productivity amongst employees by ensuring that the necessary hours are allocated to work and minimising the stress from social media influences. These policies may also limit workplace disciplinary hearings and job losses associated with social media usage by providing guidelines on how to use social media without bringing the company's name into disrepute. 

In light of the above, social media use in the workplace can impact your mental health and impact your employment relationship. Employers can come to the aid of their employees by implementing workplace policies which regulate and encourage responsible use of social media. An employee who is being victimised or bullied through social media may also approach the courts and the police for assistance in terms of the law. Therefore, there is satisfactory external protection from the harm that may come with social media use, however, the employee is ultimately responsible for ensuring that they use social media responsibly and in consideration of their mental health.