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Marcus Plante

1. What trends are happening in the industry? What are two current cases related to social media ethics? Outline the current code of ethics for social media by a professional organization you would be interested in joining as part of their social media staff.

Trends in the Industry:

More transparency is being stressed and utilized due to past issues.

People are becoming more cautious with security and data.

There are new guidelines being put in place on certain social media outlets as well as being revoked from others.

Two Current Cases Related to Social Media Ethics:

Language in Comment Sections:

Case Example: Platforms like Instagram are now using AI and working moderators to filter out hate speech and “harmful” language.

Ethical Consideration: Keeping freedom of speech while trying keep a safe environment for the users.

Posting of Unethical Content:

Case Example: Swirling controversy about the potential spread of misinformation and fake news on Facebook.

Ethical Consideration: The platform should do a better job of filtering out harmful and blatantly false information which may defame a group of people or an organization.

Current Code of Ethics for Social Media by a Professional Organization (The NBA):

The NBA does a good job of currently keeping a code of ethics. They fine players and or staff who use harmful language or gestures on live television and hold their players and staff to a high standard off the court. The NBA does a good job of keeping a good aura around the Association and a healthy one which leads towards growth and fun for all.  

2. Brands/professionals with strong social media ethical codes: what brands are utilizing proper social media ethical practices? Are there any professionals that you feel practice strong ethical behavior on social media? Support your choice with evidence. What are some takeaways you can bring forth in your own practices?

Brands/Professionals with Strong Social Media Ethical Codes

Brands Utilizing Proper Social Media Ethical Practices:

Example: Patagonia does a good job of promoting environmental activism and they even show their supply chain processes to ensure ethical standards.

Evidence: Patagonia's commitment to holding these ethical standards to set the bar for other companies is documented across its social media channels.

Professionals Practicing Strong Ethical Behavior:

Example: Mr. Beast (Jimmy Donaldson) is mostly famous for his wild videos but he does just as much for Philanthropy helping in so many different facets. He’s not only a content creator but an entrepreneur as well who uses almost all the money he makes to make a positive impact on communities and fund his videos so he can continue to make an impact through Philanthropy.

Evidence: Mr. Beast's approach to using his social media influence for positive change is shown in many of his projects for example. He has started campaigns like #TeamTrees, where he collaborated with the Arbor Day Foundation to plant 20 million trees throughout the world. His YouTube content for the most part includes videos where he donates large amounts of money to people, charities, or communities in need, which just encourages his culture of generosity. 

Takeaways for Own Practices:

How important transparency is and with the audience and users as well as the consideration of the users needs

The role of social media and how it's possible to use it as a force for change. It is more powerful and can reach larger audiences than I thought.

3. Key concepts and issues: what main concepts are necessary to adhere to for your own personal conduct online?What to do and what not to do: what main concepts do you feel strongly against and want to make sure you avoid on social media?

Key Concepts and Issues for my personal conduct online

Authenticity: Being genuine and honest through my online interactions.

Responsibility: Understanding the impact of my posts and how they can affect others.

Privacy: Being careful with the content I post and the information I share.

Integrity: Keeping an ethical position which protects users and followers.

4. What to do and what not to do: what main concepts do you feel strongly against and want to make sure you avoid on social media?

Do:

It's important to engage with your audience and adhere to their voices and requests while still staying true to the moral integrity of your page and or sight.

Make sure that the information your sharing has evidence or backup to support the claim.

Do Not:

Comment or post hateful or false information. 

Feed into harmful comments or start fights in comment sections.

5. Bullet point 5-10 core concepts that you will follow as a practicing social media professional. Include citations that you used for sources/supports for this.

Bullet point 5-10 core concepts that you will follow as a practicing social media professional.

Listen to the audience and take into account their complaints/desires: T, T. (2023, August 22). Audience analysis in public speaking: Knowing your audience. Icebreaker Speech. https://icebreakerspeech.com/audience-analysis/ 

Create a clean and safe space for viewers and users: Bertrand, J. (2023, March 27). Creating safe spaces on social media platforms introduction. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/creating-safe-spaces-social-media-platforms-jonathan-bertrand 

Respect free speech on the platform or website: York, J. C. (2021, January 10). Users, not tech executives, should decide what constitutes free speech online. MIT Technology Review.https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/01/09/1015977/who-decides-free-speech-online/

Advertise and campaign firstly for charities and or non profits, although it may not be profitable it is ethical and makes your intentions clear: “Nonprofit Impact in Communities.” National Council of Nonprofits, www.councilofnonprofits.org/about-americas-nonprofits/nonprofit-impact-communities. Accessed 24 Mar. 2024. 

Post engaging content to facilitate growth while still spreading a good message:Hopper, Teah. “Why Posting Consistently Matters on Social Media.” Teah Hopper Consulting, Teah Hopper Consulting, 22 Mar. 2021, www.teahhopper.com/blog/2018/11/15/why-posting-consistently-matters-on-social-media. 

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St Jude's Media presence. Sharing hope

The way the world is shifting right now, it is more important than ever to engage and interact with an audience over social media in order to attain goals and fundraise. It is vital for St. Jude especially due to their need for donations. A well versed and concise social media presence will only help spread their message and will make it easier to interact with the community.Things such as likes, followers, comments and shared posts are key indicators of how much people are interacting with their social media platforms, and will give a good gauge on what content draws in to the most people. The improvement of all of these will help St. Jude's goals such as fundraising,creating a supportive community, aiding research and providing care to patients. Raising all of these metrics are important but the content's direction should stay the same. It would be ideal to spread the same exact message just in a way that attracts more attention.

Impact the lives of St. Jude kids - St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (stjude.org)

In terms of Vanity Metrics it is difficult to compare their purpose in comparison with other organizations. For St. Jude, these metrics don't capture the true value of their online effectiveness, ignoring the depth of engagement or the actual amount of support gathered through their social media. In order to improve these metrics it would take a large shift towards creating genuine interactions, sharing the amazing stories of these brave children, and stressing the importance of action when it comes to something as important as their lives. This approach would not only increase the quality of content but also follows their approach to connect deeper with their audience.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (@stjude) • Instagram photos and videos

To find the proper statistics and use them to make a further impact, St. Jude should focus on metrics for platforms like Instagram or facebook. On Facebook, there is a participation rate that acts as a metric, giving insight into the content's effectiveness and how much it captures the audience.The Share of Voice acts like a specific metric, which shows St. Jude's impact within online conversations about the children they are helping, giving content adjustments which will ultimately give them a larger voice. The click through rate on donation links is one of the most important metrics because it shows how often and how many people view posts or stories including the donation link.

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital | Memphis TN | Facebook

Like Facebook, Instagram's unique way of engaging requires a somewhat specific approach. The engagement rate per follower offers some insight into how involved and interactive the audience truly is, showing the community's engagement strength in comparison to its size. It is important to notice that the stories of the children have much more likes and views than the posts strictly about donating. Although this is true the donation link is not usually attached to the video, it usually tells the viewers that it is in the bio. When they post strictly the donation link it gets more interaction in the donation box because the link is attached. St. Jude could do something along the lines of providing the link in the caption or playing it at the end of the video to get more interaction in the donation box when posting the stories of these children.

#st jude

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What is social media?

What is social media? A question that isn't asked too often because of how incorporated it is into our lives. What was once foreign and fresh to the world is now seamlessly tied into our everyday life. For the majority of us it doesn't matter the magnitude of an event being held on any given day. We will find a gap to squeeze in time on social media. I myself am guilty of this and I don't always have the self-awareness to realize I've been scrolling aimlessly for some time. It is very easy to find yourself in a rabbit hole on almost any social media platform. This poses the question of what makes these posts so enticing. Most of us know that these sights have algorithm's, which keep track of what we are interested in and bases our feed off of that. Is this what we want though? Is it really the explore page if it's fine-tuned to our preexisting interests. Although sometimes I lack the self-awareness to put my phone down, I do constantly notice the patterns of my feed. These apps and websites are intelligent beyond our comprehension, and it is important we take a step back during our daily lives and reflect on if we use social media purposefully. I hope this class is able to help me navigate the facades of social media and help better my usage of it as a tool. As addicting as it is, there is a reason it is so prevalent. If you want to influence the world in a timely manner, social media is a catalyst which most people can't turn down. Love it or hate it, it is a part of our lives, and we must do our best to use these sights properly and monitor them closely.