Disadvantages of Social & Professional Networking Sites

While social media platforms and professional networking site offer many advantages, there are also drawbacks to consider. Educating employees on social media use, responding to online messages and countering unfair reviews can be time-consuming and distracting. Worse still, Internet activity increases exposure to hacking, viruses, trolls and cyberstalkers. You may find it helpful to identify some disadvantages of media and information in terms of professional reputation when writing office policy.

Personnel Problems

Problems associated with employee use of social media include offensive and discriminatory comments, sexual harassment, offensive jokes, gossiping and backstabbing. Human resources must address inappropriate coworker behavior and take action to stop it, according to the Society for Human Resource Management, or SHRM. Employees may push back, claiming their harassing social media post wasn’t a big deal. Or they might claim their account was hacked. Investigating and resolving coworker incivility detracts from other important matters like filling vacant positions.

Jealousy and resentment can occur when coworkers use social media and professional networking for purposes of shameless self-promotion. For example, they may brag for weeks about a promotion at work, while touting what made them more deserving than anyone else. Posting photos of new cars or lavish vacations on social media – made possible by a raise – makes matters worse. Then there’s the matter of employees sharing too much personal information about their dating life, hip surgery or political views.

Security Risks

Use of Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Twitter for nonrelated work purposes is a big problem that employers face. According to Digital Workplace, about 50 percent of all companies block employees from using social media at work to stop them from wasting time or clicking on a link that could contain a virus or malware capable of infecting the company’s computers and network. Professional networks like LinkedIn are researched by competitors looking for insider information or trade secrets.

Sophos Home reports that social media use is often the gateway for hackers and cybercriminals seeking to exploit weaknesses in social network systems. Spoofed accounts and phishing schemes are among the most common ways used to penetrate a site’s defenses and trick users into providing passwords or banking information. Further, networking sites like LinkedIn can be breached, resulting in the capture of users’ passwords.

Damage to Reputation

Social media marketing is a double-edge sword, especially for startups and small businesses. Attracting followers on social media platforms can boost sales, but a few unfair reviews can be devastating when you’re trying so hard to get your business off the ground. Even established businesses can take a hit if a bombastic comment goes viral.

You also have to contend with the problem of Internet bots, which are created by software applications that simulate real people on social media platforms and even interact using artificial intelligence. According to Social Media Perth, these automated bots can be programmed to attack a competitor and spread misinformation. Other threats can come from random trolls or disgruntled former employees posting vitriolic attacks on social media.

Superficial Relationships

Building trust, loyalty and healthy relationships requires an investment of time and energy. True friendship and camaraderie comes from shared experiences and mutual support. Sending an emoji, sharing a post or hitting the like button in social media communications takes minimal effort. In real life, colleagues engage in sustained, meaningful conversations, whether that happens in person or virtually.

Social media and professional networking make it easier and faster to converse online than in person, which can diminish the quality of teamwork. Relationships tend to become more superficial and less meaningful. Healthline also notes that strong differences of opinion on social networking sites can result in one person being unfriended. Consequently, the workplace could be disrupted because of acerbic social media exchanges between coworkers who should be collaborators, not enemies.