Why blocking social media is not the answer

Image: pixabay.com

I am a strong proponent of open access to social media. I feel the decision to block staff access to e.g. LinkedIn or YouTube is often ill-advised, and it’s not beneficial to organisations in the long run.

Many times I’ve heard the following reasons for restricting social media usage at work: “We don’t want our staff to be distracted.” And: “They shouldn’t waste their time on social media.” Other reasons may include perceived cyber risks or the cost of excess data usage.

Sending out the wrong message

Any organisation that blocks social media sites may send out one or more of the following messages:

1. We don’t really understand what social media is all about
2. We don’t trust our staff
3. Even though consumers are using social media for health purposes, we’re not interested

Admittedly, this is probably unintentional. In most cases decision makers are probably unfamiliar with social media…