Is social media getting out of hand?

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 15:36:05 -0500

Response by 1SG Steven Stankovich made Mar 2 at 2014 3:42 PM

1SG Steven Stankovich — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 15:42:37 -0500

I don't believe that Social Media is getting out of hand.  I believe that, in the recent cases involving service members, those Soldiers are either uneducated about proper behavior with regards to what they post, they understand and choose to do otherwise, or they just do not care what they post.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 2 at 2014 3:44 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 15:44:27 -0500

I'm starting to think young Soldiers are doing it just to get attention now. Between the Soldier hiding from the flag, Soldiers holding guns up to their heads, Soldiers smoking blunts in uniforms, and several other Soldiers posing and Gang Members. I use Social Media as a mentorship tool. I am very active here on Rally Point, I also us Army Together We Served, and several NCO pages on Facebook. Now because of these younger Soldiers doing crazy things I feel that my Leadership is now pocking around in my personal life. Just recently I had friend request from my Company Commander and some other Battalion Level Officers and NCOs. Know I have nothing to hide but I am starting to think that I might need to post less and stop offering advice to people about certain things. I anybody else in the same feeling?

Response by CSM Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 2 at 2014 3:48 PM

CSM Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 15:48:19 -0500

Yes to an extent it is getting out of hand. With just about everyone having a "smart phone" i tis hard to not see anyone using socal media. I was a a PHA today and standing in line for a Dentist evaluation and there were twelve of us 9 were on thier phones surfing social media. that way I know this is that they were lauughing and sharing the photos back andf forth. Is this a bat thing maybye not in the right setting but there were ranks from PFC-MAJ doing this. It sets an unprofessinal tone while in this kind of setting. As I said earlier there is a time and place for it and yes we all pretty much do it but it should be self policed.

Response by Lt Col Luis A. Rojas made Mar 2 at 2014 3:48 PM

Lt Col Luis A. Rojas — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 15:48:30 -0500

Very good question.  I do not think so...humans are not perfect and unfortunately there are always some that are not careful with what they say or do on social networks.  This could be because of lack of knowledge or they just do not care.  In the end, I think Social Media is a great tool and has a lot more advantages than disadvantages in its use.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 2 at 2014 3:57 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 15:57:15 -0500

I don't think that social media is getting out of hand.  I think that if there is a problem, it is that people don't think before they speak/act.  In general, social media has helped out in many ways.  It allows family members to stay connected with their loved ones over great business, it helps facilitate the spread of information, and it allows people to get in contact with others when they wouldn't be able to do easily any other way.  RallyPoint is a form of social media.  Granted, it is geared specifically toward the military service member or veteran, but it is still social media none the less.  In general, I think that social media has done more good than harm, but some people simply make mistakes.  They may be REALLY dumb mistakes, but they are mistakes and we can learn from those mistakes.

Response by SGM Matthew Quick made Mar 2 at 2014 4:00 PM

SGM Matthew Quick — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 16:00:38 -0500

No...a minority of Soldiers' irresponsible use of social media is.

Response by SSG Dave Rogers made Mar 2 at 2014 4:04 PM

SSG Dave Rogers — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 16:04:02 -0500

It is not social media getting out of hand, it is guidance and training not catching up with advancement. The young soldiers that are doing these stupid things on social media is because they are not being lead properly. The DoD needs to come up with better guidelines for social media and leaders and commanders need to know how to teach their soldiers about respect for the uniform in a social media world. Does this mean it will never happen, no you will always have a few donuts out there, but teaching soldiers that you can enjoy social media and still respect yourself will reduce it a lot. I think for the most part a lot of people do stupid things, because they dont know how to properly use it. 

Response by SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 2 at 2014 4:19 PM

SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 16:19:40 -0500

Social media is not a problem. Its some of the people using it that are. It is a wonderful tool that opens so many doors. Sadly, in some cases, it is replacing traditional leadership. I can't count the times I've personally been able to stay abreast of current events and changes within the military without it. It is powerful. However, until we able to drill in the effects of it, we will continue to see it misused. In case no one has noticed, I like to use analogies. I see it as being similar to alcohol. Bear with me as it is not a direct correlation. Alcohol can be good and alcohol can be bad. More and more I feel better about my wine consumption, as studies show that that and even a daily beer can have positive health benefits. With alcohol, the issue of good vs. bad is one of quantity. With social media, it is an issue of content. Some can be very good and some can be very bad. It all depends on which side of the line you're on. Both take time to correct the bad.<div><br></div><div>I feel as though more emphasis should be placed on the do's and dont's of social media. As with overindulgence of alcohol, ignorance should not be an excuse. I still am one of those hoping for severe punishment (i.e. seperation) for the Soldiers involved in the numerous recent events. Most, if not all of these recent Soldiers should know the do's and donts. It is an issue of common sense. If there is a lack of common sense, there is a lack of need for that particular Soldier. If I pull a gun and shoot John Doe in the face and then say oops, I didn't know this would put a hole in your head, I should not be excused for ignorance. I get it that many people do stupid things in their younger years. It is not an excuse, however after raising your right hand. You took an oath. You don't get to pick and choose then play dumb. When you enlist in the military, you are coming in as a man or a woman. Not as a child. You should know the basics of right vs. wrong. These "kids" grew up with this technology and know what it is capable of. If they want to seek attention, they should do it elsewhere. I see all of these posts about how the military is treating grown ups like children and agree. It only happens because we allow children within our ranks and proceed to continue holding the bottle where their parents left off. I am a lean mean killing machine, not a babysitter. I get it that we help shape and mold, but there is a difference. Soup may be yummy, but it doesn't work in a sandwich.</div><div><br></div><div>With the military downsizing, we can only afford the cream of the crop from the top to bottom. For every Soldier that wants to act disrespectful on social media, there are several more that would love to earn the chance to serve their country honorably.  </div>

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 2 at 2014 7:45 PM

1LT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 19:45:08 -0500

Response by SPC David Solotky made Mar 4 at 2014 12:48 AM

SPC David Solotky — Tue, 04 Mar 2014 00:48:19 -0500

We do training on this every year on the civilian side. To make it short and sweet the way it is put is if you represent the company in a negative way you could be terminated. I don't disagree with that either. People should be doing the correct actions however, if they are not and put it out there for the world to see..... So be it they are dealt with accordingly. It is unfortunate that the media does get hold of these things. I haven't seen the most recent go "viral" yet unfortunately of a soldier giving out pizza to the homeless. However the media doesn't typically want to cover those stories.

So to close I don't know what has been put out by the chain of command (none of my business either I am no longer in). I am sure that it is along the lines, of do not post disgraceful things, on your social media sites especially in uniform. I feel that those things should be addressed by the chain of command swiftly.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 4 at 2014 3:39 AM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 04 Mar 2014 03:39:06 -0500

No, SSG Woodard, I don't think so. Social media is just a part of our lives now, and I wish more people would use it. Like everyone else said, a handful of idiots are giving social media a bad reputation. It's a means by which we can express ourselves and connect with one another.

My post was closed today due to icy conditions, and how did I first learn this? I received a tweet on my phone from Fort Campbell's twitter page. Social media for the win!

Response by PO2 Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 4 at 2014 5:32 AM

PO2 Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 04 Mar 2014 05:32:22 -0500

I don't believe social media is an issue. I think that many service members don't seem to realize how public what they put on social media sites is. What may start as one person goofing off for their friends can spread like wild fire with a few simple clicks. Now, I'm not defending ignorance in uniform at all, because that is the REAL root of the problem as I see it. I'm just restating what we should all know by now, anything put online can and usually will be public property some way or another.

Response by Cpl James Bandy made Apr 30 at 2014 3:05 PM

Cpl James Bandy — Wed, 30 Apr 2014 15:05:05 -0400

To the point! Can anyone provide some evidence that any of the social networks has in fact generated new business?

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made May 29 at 2014 1:50 PM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 29 May 2014 13:50:44 -0400

I look on social media to fix soldiers! lol j/k. But if i see something I'll fix it at the lowest level.