Social Media Assisted Career Suicide

Description: With 2.89 billion active users on Facebook it is likely that everyone attending this lecture has a Facebook account. That, in and of itself, is not an issue — many people use social media to get their news or keep up with family and friends, without ever posting anything “questionable.” However, there are individuals in public service who seem to believe that they are able to share their opinions, thoughts, or images online without fear of retribution. In 2012 Dave Statter coined the phrase Social Media Assisted Career Suicide Syndrome, a phenomenon that has only continued to grow as social media use increases amongst emergency service personnel. This lecture will cover the misconception of free speech, the prevalence of SMACS in emergency services, and the legality of being terminated over social media posts. While it is nearly impossible to prevent all social media missteps, educating our team members on the ethical and legal issues involved with indiscriminate posting is a step in the right direction toward gaining and keeping public trust.