Social media is a brilliant tool for feeling connected and engaged. In addition, it can also be used to enhance your career prospects. 95% of The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers use social media in their recruitment process and over 50% of employees look at the social media profiles of candidates before offering a job.
It’s important to be aware of the risks associated with using social media. Misuse of social media can potentially lead to long-term damage to your academic and employment prospects and legal action, as well as mental health issues. We’ve put together a list of what you need to know and some tips about how to stay safe on social media.
For more information see the University’s Social Media Compliance Policy.
Think before you post
Even if your account is set to ‘private’ you still need to think before you post. A post can easily be screenshotted and shared to a far wider audience than you expected, or intended. Posting the wrong thing on social media can result in serious and lasting consequences. Here are some tips to help you think before you post:
- Always post on social media when you’re thinking with a clear head and be wary of posting when intoxicated or when you’re feeling particularly emotional or angry
- If you think the post might be contentious check it with a friend before posting
- Respect others’ privacy- don’t post personal information about others
- If you wouldn’t say it to someone’s face, don’t say it on social media.
Inappropriate social media use (for example offensive, intimidating, threatening, indecent or illegal content) is likely to result in students being referred to the University’s student disciplinary procedures.
The law
You are as accountable to the law online as you are in real life. Even if you delete a post, any screenshots that exist can be used to prosecute you. Here are some laws that you may not be aware of:
- You can be sued for posting an unsubstantiated rumour about another person. This is called libel. A libel claim can also follow even where the person is not directly named, so long as they can be identified from what is posted
- If you post a false statement that causes “serious harm” to a person’s reputation, it may be libellous under the Defamation Act 2013. Typically, this can result in the publisher of the statement being forced to pay damages
- You don’t need to be the author of the comment to get in trouble. Simply reposting someone else’s comments can potentially be regarded as an endorsement, significant enough to trigger legal action
- Copyright and intellectual property – a photo or video should only be used in three scenarios: where copyright is owned because you created the content yourself; where a licence has been granted or you’ve bought the copyright; or where the use of the photo or video is considered “fair dealing”.
Professionalism and confidentiality rules
Make sure you know the rules to protect privacy relating to your area of study at the University. For example, Health Sciences, Dentistry, Medical and Veterinary students must retain professionalism and respect confidentiality in clinical cases. Research students must also be aware of the rules governing the recruitment of study volunteers.
Mental health and social media
A number of recent studies have linked social media usage to mental health problems, with young people identified as particularly at risk. If you are experiencing difficulties with self-esteem, depression or anxiety, consider if social media is making your symptoms worse. Here are some tips to cut down on social media use:
- Always remember that what you’re seeing on social media may not be a true representation of real life
- Go offline from time to time and enjoy a social media detox
- Remove apps from your phone’s homepage so they’re not as easy to click on.
If you are experiencing low self-esteem, depression or anxiety, contact the University’s support services.
How to deal with trolls: do’s and don’ts
If you’re receiving abuse of any kind on social media here are some steps we recommend you follow:
- Don’t respond to trolls online
- Do report trolls by clicking the Report Abuse button. Twitter, Instagram and Yahoo have updated their platforms to make reporting abuse easier and to allow the filtering of notifications and comments
- Do report serious bullying such as threats of physical harm or abuse, to the police. The Metropolitan Police have a unit called the Online Hate Crime Hub, which will focus on internet trolls and online abuse
- Don’t provide a platform for trolls, if you host your own website with a forum or comments section, feel free to delete offensive or abusive material
- Don’t suffer in silence; reach out to people for support. The University will support you and can take disciplinary action if the abuser is a student or staff member.
Account security
Poor account security can result in account hacking and identity theft which also has serious legal, reputational, academic, employment and financial implications.
It is important that you protect your online identity against hacking by choosing strong and secure passwords, different from passwords you use for other accounts. Incidents of hacking social media accounts through mobile devices are increasing so make sure you use a suitable screen lock.
Contacts at the University
Student Services
0151 794 5863
advice@liverpool.ac.uk
University Counselling and Mental Health Advisory Service
0151 794 3304
counserv@liverpool.ac.uk
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