First published: 04/12/2022
Not so long ago, people made a clear distinction between free time and the time they were working for their boss. We used our landline at home to make phone calls, and social media was still a thing. The breakthrough of mobile telephony and social media has changed the way we communicate forever. Does that also apply to the distinction between private and work?
Table of contents
Social media
Social media are online platforms and tools that allow people worldwide to communicate, share information, and form communities. They allow users to create, share, and discover content such as text, images, videos, and more.
Well-known platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (now X), LinkedIn and TikTok have drastically changed the way we communicate, network and consume information.
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Kyzoe Hosting & Design
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Key Features of Social Media
- Interactive: Users can comment, share, and engage in conversation about content.
- Accessible: Anyone with an internet connection can participate.
- Speed: Information is distributed and consumed in real time.
- Diversity of content: From short texts and memes to live videos and extensive blogs.
Why are social media important?
Social media play a crucial role in both personal and professional contexts. They help to:
- Personal connections: Keeping in touch with friends and family.
- Business growth: Businesses use social media to promote their brand and reach customers.
- Information dissemination: Current events and trends are shared at lightning speed.
- Community building: People with shared interests find each other worldwide.
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Separation of work and private life
Also in the hospitality is the strict separation between work and private life something from the distant past. Employees are reachable almost always and everywhere and are given more freedom in return in the way they organize their work. Does that mean that the time we spend at work is also a thing of the past?
At least not based on research by Intelligence Group to the private use of social media during working hours. A majority of respondents indicate that this should be possible.
Respondents in paid employment indicate that it is also generally permitted by managers (54%). Students who were asked to give an opinion on use per type of social media in a possible job after their studies, however, set clear limitations both in type of media and in duration of use. The actual use among people in paid employment confirms these reservations.
Of those over fifty, only 43% think so private use of social media acceptable during working hours, compared to 57-58% in the other age groups. The perception that managers allow it is remarkably much higher among men (59%) than among women (49%).
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WhatsApp is not a social media
WhatsApp is the only medium that the majority of respondents use for private reasons during work hours (81%). A large majority of students also find this permissible, with a notable difference between male (85%) and female students (94%). WhatsApp is also not seen as a social medium.
Social media
LinkedIn is the only other social media where a majority of students find private use during work hours acceptable. Here again we see a striking difference between men (58%) and women (45%).
Acceptance of other social media is much lower. About 60% of students think that you Facebook, Instagram and should not use Snapchat privately during work hours.
For Youtube, Twitter and Pinterest this amounts to around 70%. Especially for Youtube and Twitter we see a striking difference in acceptance between male (60% and 63% rejection respectively) and female students (77% and 75% rejection respectively).
The acceptance of private use during work time is almost always higher among students than the actual use by people in paid employment. Facebook is the only exception in this study, with approximately 40% acceptance and 42% use.
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People over 50 less active
For all social media examined, actual private use during working hours is highest in the age group up to 30 years and lowest among the over-XNUMXs. If the over-XNUMXs do use a social medium, they spend less time on it. In this area too, the under-XNUMXs are leaders.
The difference with the age group 30-50 years is limited, with two exceptions: the use of Instagram and Snapchat. This is respectively two and three times as high among workers up to 30 years of age as in the age group above. Overall, we see that the use of Snapchat and Pinterest during working hours is at a low level with an average of 12%, Twitter barely rises above that with an average of 13%.
Social Media Code of Conduct
If companies want to regulate the private use of social media, they would be wise to record this in a code of conduct. This way, employees and managers know where they stand. Only 45% of respondents know for sure that there is a code of conduct in their organization, while 32% say there is not.
Almost a quarter is therefore not aware of the existence or otherwise of a code of conduct. Of the respondents who indicate that there is a code of conduct, over 60% indicate that it is also complied with.
In addition to the code of conduct for the use of social media for private use, there are also guidelines. If your employee indicates on his/her profile that he/she works in your business, it is important that you keep an eye on how he/she uses social media. Providing clarity by including the code of conduct (when is it allowed for private use) and guidelines in the employment contract is a start.
NOOR & NOOR has decades of experience in setting up and running catering businesses, specialty stores and providing various services, both B2B and B2C.
To carry out its activities, NOOR & NOOR relies on innovative insights and ideas from young marketers and micro-influencers for the management of your social media.
NOOR & NOOR works closely with specialized partners for the technical aspects of the assignments, but also with you for accurate and recent content.
The main activities of NOOR & NOOR are Social Media Management. Then building and managing websites and web shops, SEO Content Writing or writing search engine related articles, Virtual Assistance en Link Building via this website.
Guidelines
The content of the guidelines can be summarised (somewhat simplistically) as:
- think carefully about what you post;
- please take copyright into account;
- do not provide confidential information;
- and ensure that statements are not harmful to the business and/or the guests.
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