By Ronald Austin Jr.
LET me apologise in advance if I come across as self-indulging. I am an unapologetic fan of social media, my preference is undoubtedly Facebook. I am always on Facebook. I make personal and professional connections on this social media space, I even complete work via my Facebook Messenger, I receive most of the often sensationalised news of the 24 hour news cycle on this ubiquitous modern-day means of communication.

Social Media, in my humble professional estimation, can be likened to the scenario of slipping on a Banana Skin. The lack of careful and considered usage of social media by those who consider themselves to be professional people of some consequence, can produce this result.

It can occur when the reckless use of social media by professional persons results in unintended repercussions that could permanently impugn your personal and professional life. This example ought to suffice, do members of an organisation have the freedom to post as they wish without regard for implications at a personal and organizational level? This debate is constantly being had and rightly so, insofar as you represent an organization, this column will argue that you must be mindful of a slippage on the social media Banana Skin.

Facebook, being the most popular Social media platform in Guyana, alas, teems with the daily potential for this development. Social Media is a great tool to make lovely connections, in the same breath, if not utilized judiciously, it can be detrimental to your personal and professional life. A simple ‘like’ of a comment or a photo on Facebook can be used as a rallying cry for those who have an agenda inimical to your interests.

Believe me, people police social media for slippages on the Banana Skin by persons of consequence. It might seem facetious but I am not snap chatting or tweeting here, the higher you go in an organization or the more notoriety you accrue, caution must be exercised. An innocent photo at a casual night on the town can turn into a meme that can be used as caricature of the intended target.

I will not hesitate to draw attention to what I have observed. I have seen public servants uploading internal documents on social media. Documents that were only intended for the viewing of those employed at a particular Ministry. Such uploads are easily captured by reporters and within minutes of the 24 hour news cycle, a sensationalized story emerges that complicates the lives of those who are responsible of that particular Ministry. There are those who might suggest, “So what are you saying Ronald Austin Jr, we should not be on social media”? No way.

That is not my argument, I am advancing a case for us to exercise caution. Some would argue, “I need to live my life” or “I need privacy”. There is nothing private about Social Media, it is the ultimate perfection of publicity. Others might suggest, “My personal existence has nothing to do with my organisation”. Let me ask, if you manage an organisation that protects animals, is it a private issue when you upload a photo of you hunting animals for the kill on your vacation? Tweets from the President of the United States of America, Donald J. Trump are now considered to be official government statements by some of the most powerful seats of governments in the world.

It is an established fact in this world today, when young professionals apply to international organizations, they request your social media information. In June 2017, ‘Harvard Crimson’ reported that the admissions for ten (10) students were rescinded because they shared offensive memes in a Facebook messaging group. These potential Ivy League scholars slipped on the social media Banana Skin, their lives permanently altered. Who is he/she that would dare to deny the power of social media? Professional reputations can go in one fell swoop with just one slip on the social media Banana Skin.

I have never seen any empirical evidence that ascertains the amount of Guyanese who are on Social Media. This column does not have the luxury to be guided by verifiable numbers, statistics or percentiles in this regard. Be that as it may, this reality should not prevent an inquisitorial sojourn into conjectures about how many people in this land are connected to social media.

The most prudent path, in my estimation to determine the number of persons on social media in this country, would be to proceed from the number of persons who have the luxury of internet access. According to Internet World Stats, recorded on June, 2017, 305,000, 39.4% of the Guyanese population have access to the internet.

A critical eye would observe that internet access does not automatically mean a presence on social media. I would have to agree but in the absence of empirical data, it is a safe bet for analytical purposes. The rise of an oil and gas economy coupled with the strides being with the admirable work being done at the Ministry of Telecommunications, the internet and social media activity will become far more pronounced in the near future.

It is not by accident that the social media accounts owned by persons of power and consequence are controlled by media corporations and in some cases, law firms. It is serious business, TTYL.