How to Ethically Survive Social Media in the Middle of a Racially Charged Pandemic


So, we’ve all seen the headlines! Social injustice, inequality, life threatening health risks, and massive job loss has descended upon our lives and our country as a whole. So as a company how do you respond?

 

First of all, let’s get one thing out of the way. Social Media is a complete TRASH CAN! You’re not going to spark intelligent conversation about a complex issue on a micro blog that favors pictures of celebrity houses over world hunger. It’s not going to happen. But you need to make a statement because the world is going to hell in a hand basket. Here’s the best way to move forward:

 

1.      Make It Quick- State your position clearly one time, maybe two, three times the charm, then NEVER MENTION IT AGAIN. This is very important. You’re not the ruler of the free world. It’s not your duty to shut down and try to solve a problem you have no power over. Anyone who tells you differently is lying to you.

2.      Buy a Separate Device for Your Social Media Apps- Your social media apps should not be on your personal phone. Buy a separate device to organize your social media apps and content. Turn all notifications off on all apps and turn off the device once you have posted your content. It is also advised to create content a month in advance, schedule the uploads, and never check your device. Keep replies to your content short and don’t reply every day.

3.      Use the Mute Button- If you are using your socials to promote your work and you follow over a hundred people, I’m sorry to say you may have already lost this war. Seasoned social users know how to screw your algorithm timeline by posting pointless and petty responses to your post on there pages. In minutes you can get flooded with indirect nasty posts. To solve this just mute this person’s content and restrict their commenting privileges. Some people say this is against free speech but if this person is using your profile to spam your page then you are perfectly in the right to make your page safe for your audience.

 

If you use these three tips to navigate trying times in a social world, I assure you a peaceful work flow and calm media experience.