Using Facebook at Work - Essay Example

Using Facebook at work Facebook has now become a fever that is incurable. Facebook is the largest growing social networking site as compared to any other social networking site; although other social networking sites are also active but the most popular of all is Facebook and its growth is just phenomenal. Out of every ten people eight people have their accounts on Facebook. Facebook has transformed and revolutionized communication between people up to the extent that people are so badly addicted of using Facebook that they can even remain connected for the whole day long without getting tired or fed up. People tend to spend hours and hours of their time stocking other profiles, uploading photos, commenting on photos, updating their statuses and catching up with their numerous friends. Social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Tagged, etc. although prove beneficial in building up your social network and strengthening relations its use has many adverse effects as well particularly when you are using Facebook while you are at your workplace. Using Facebook at work place has a very few advantages and benefits in comparison to the great many drawbacks and threats it poses to its users as well as the security of the office or the company. Though the use of Facebook is permitted in some companies but many companies have banned the use of Facebook during work hours or limited the access for its users. Advancements in technologies and introduction of smartphones and other multi-purpose devices have made the access to such networking very easy and have brought about problems for the offices and companies who do not allow its use. These sites may be of great use if used domestically or at home because it helps you to keep you linked to all your family members, friends, colleagues, workmates and to build new acquaintances but it certainly is not of much use while used during office hours (Sutherland 2011). Executives and managers of many different offices and companies do not allow the use of Facebook to their employees during the office hours. The offices have mentioned in their policy that it is strictly prohibited to use Facebook while at work and can have serious implications if found using in the office. The major reason why the officials are against of using Facebook is that they are major attention diverters. When you get yourself logged into Facebook and start navigating through the page it seems as if the world has stopped behind you and you do not realize how much you have spent just scrolling through pages, visiting people’s profile, stocking others, uploading pictures and updating statuses. When the employees do so they will eventually lag behind in their office work and the tasks that are assigned to them. It has been observed that the productivity of the offices have been considerably reduced when it was surveyed that the office had allowed access to the use of Facebook to its employees. It is innate in the people that if they are allowed anything just for their ease and comfort they start misusing this opportunity and facility and take unnecessary advantage of the office policy and spend most of their work hours using Facebook. When the employers start using Facebook, it also weakens the company morale and the spirit of other workers who are spending time in working and completing the work load. This effect is more aggressive and more pronounced when there is no check and balance on the workers who are misusing the facility and are deceiving their bosses and taking advantage of the employees who are seriously working. The employers do not appreciate the workers who are doing so and if you consider this issue morally it is extremely unethical (Source Media 2012). Another major issue because of which the use of Facebook should be banned in work places is the issue related to privacy and security issues. When you log on to your Facebook account through a network that is being monitored by external authorities all your information is visible to them, your personal details, the people you are visiting, the sites you are visiting and etc. You never know that what the other person is going to with your information or how he will be using it. People usually upload their personal photos and family photos on their Facebook accounts and the authority gains access to all these and all this is certainly a great risk. Besides this when you are using Facebook in the open office environment anyone can have a look at your pictures and can peek on your wall without you being informed. While using Facebook at your workplace you must keep in your mind that anyone can access your profile. A major issue is that the office network gets vulnerable to attack from viruses and malwares. A very common virus that spreads through social networking sites is Koobface; it tricks the user of being an e-mail from a friend and leads you to some external site and once you open the e-mail it houses your computer. It then creates hindrance in your work, trying to get access to your personal information, credit card numbers, faking viruses on the computer and then offering you to remove the virus after you pay a certain amount of fees and if you do not do so then it will create great turmoil on your computer and you will be bound to pay for its removal. Other viruses and malwares can also easily make their way to the computer and disrupt the whole system and it may even result in great data loss or hacking of the company’s information. In addition the virus may give rise to other viruses as well. To protect the computer the office must install certain soft wares that do not allow the access to malicious websites and should also keep a strong check on the employees on the websites that they are visiting and the amount of time they are spending on social networking sites like Facebook (Manson 2012). Another major problem regarding use of Facebook in workplace is social engineering. It is a growing art and more and more people are becoming preys of online frauds. It all seems flowery and nice when you view certain opportunities or online jobs through different websites or on social networking sites and you get fooled by them and disclose certain personal details that you would never disclose on meeting a person for the first time. Often people upload all their personal details, their pictures, the details about the company in which they are working, and the cyber criminals can easily find a way to get access to all these information and these cyber criminals usually attack through social networking sites and if the employer is using these social networking sites at his workplace then not only his computer but the company’s network and system might be at great risk. People often post certain comments about the company which they should not because it may cause certain serious issues for the company. Like if an employer posts regarding the problems that the company is facing or any sort of crisis that the company is undergoing then the company might get in to greater troubles. A company’s reputation and image also gets effected if it is observed that the employers are more interested in using social networking sites during office hours rather than working. Using Facebook or other social networking sites while in the office may cause serious security threats for the company. Cyber thefts are very common through social networking sites and if they are used in offices then not only the employer who is using the site but the entire company can be at a risk of cyber theft. Hackers have very smart brains and once they hack a computer then it is not difficult for them to penetrate into the entire network linked to the computer and in any office or company all the computer systems are interlinked and so it is possible that you become responsible for getting all the computers in your company to get corrupted then you may better know what consequences it may lead to (Bennet 2012). However, certain companies are there which have allowed the employers to access social networking websites. Some companies even expect from their employee that they will use Facebook and other social networking sites for the purpose of networking and as marketing tools. Such companies believe that now a days employers work very long hours and if they spend a few minute getting relaxed and refreshed by visiting Facebook and other social networking sites then it is a fair deal. Certain companies believe that using Facebook during office hours is not a waste of time in fact it sometimes prove to be beneficial for the company. Most of the senior officials and executives who believe that Facebook should be allowed during office hours are for one major reason- to keep the employer happy. The officers believe that if the employers are happy then they will keep the manager happy. The executives believe that the employers must be kept happy and satisfied and only then they can work efficiently but if the employers are not happy then they will not work efficiently and may even cause some serious problems for the company. So to keep the employers happy they have allowed access to use Facebook and other networking sites (Vander 2008).But it is not necessary that the employers can remain happy only by giving them access to Facebook or any website; there are numerous ways to keep the employer happy like appreciation, giving bonuses, increasing salary if the employer has done some good task, increasing the post of the employer and there are many other ways to make them happy. It should be realized that spending time on Facebook is a waste of time (Source Media 2012). Secondly the managers consider using Facebook during office time will act as a marketing tool and will help in publicizing and promoting the name of the company. They consider Facebook as a platform from where they can promote their ideas and can promote their company (Shih 2012);but it is not necessary that Facebook is the only platform for marketing ideas, there are many ways and means through which marketing can be done like publishing pamphlets or giving ads in newspapers and even if Facebook is a good opportunity for marketing then it is not necessary that the access to Facebook is given to the whole office, access should only be given to the marketing team with a close check on them so that they do not distract from the work they are given and only concentrate on the task they are given (Manson 2012). The officers believe that by allowing employers to use Facebook and other networking sites their reputation can be improved as they can socially interact with other people (Shih 2009).But by using Facebook during office hours will only leave a bad impression on the other person because he will understand that the workers are not devoted in doing their task and are not sincere with their job and office. Instead of improving it will just leave a bad impression on him. The person will never want to work with such a company in which employers are not devoted and sincere to their work because such people will never beneficial for a company instead will decrease the productivity and efficiency of the company (Kiesbye 2011). Concluding it can be said that the use of Facebook should not be allowed in offices during their office hours because it considerably decreases the efficiency of the workers and the productivity of the office. Facebook users are so addicted of using Facebook that they cannot limit their time of use to a few minutes only, they will definitely spend hours on Facebook and their working time will be reduced and so the efficiency of their work will be reduced and eventually the company will have to face losses. It is true that employers now a days have to work very long hours and they definitely need a break to relax and refresh because if they are not given time to relax they will not give their best and efficiency will automatically be reduced; in order to refresh the employers they can allow access to Facebook or other networking sites but that should be given for a limited time period, in fact they should allot certain time in which the employers can get access to Facebook other than which they will not be allowed. Everything in this world has pros and cons and it solely depends on your use whether you use it for a good purpose or misuse it. Likewise Facebook also has a good side as well as a bad side and it again solely depends on how you use it. If Facebook is used for a good purpose while at office it can prove to be beneficial but the use of Facebook and other websites should be closely monitored so that chances of mishaps can be minimized. If the employer does not use Facebook sensibly while at office then it can have serious consequences for the employer because if he has written something bad about the company or the boss then the company can easily get to know who the person is and he can get fired. Therefore the use of Facebook can be allowed by offices but there should be a proper check and balance system on the employers so that they cannot misuse the facility that is being provided to them. Works Cited Source Media. 5 Problems with Social Networking in Workplace. Information Management and Source Media. 2012. Web. 8 April 2012. http://www.information-management.com/specialreports/2009_165/social_networking_media-10016208-1.html?zkPrintable=1&nopagination=1 Manson, Adrienne. Is it ethical for Employers to use Social Networking Sites to Check out Potential Employees? HubPages. 2012. Web. 8 April 2012. http://adrienne2.hubpages.com/hub/Is-It-Ethical-For-Employers-To-Use-Social-Networking-Sites-To-Check-Out-Potential-Employees Bennet, Shea. Using Twitter and Facebook in the Workplace increases security risks, says research. Web Media Brands, 29 September. 2011. Web. 8 April 2012. http://www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/social-media-workplace-security_b14333 Kiesbye, Stefan. Are Social Networking Sites Harmful? Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2011. Print. Sutherland, Adam. Facebook. Gardners Books, 2011. Print. Shih, Clara C. The Facebook Era: Tapping Online Social Networks to Build Better Products, Reach New Audiences, and Sell More Stuff. Boston: Prentice Hall, 2009. Print. Shih, Clara C. The Facebook Era: Tapping Online Social Networks to Market, Sell, and Innovate. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Prentice Hall, 2011. Print. Vander, Veer E. A. Facebook. Sebastopol, CA: Pogue Press/OReilly, 2008. Print. Read More