Posted on Mar 12, 2014

Has "Military Social Media Idiots" changed the behavior and discipline of you or your Soldiers/Sailors/Airmen/Marines/Coasties?

LTC (Join to see)

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The UCMJ is a criminal code. A central theory of criminal law is that it should have a deterrent effect. However, deterrence requires awareness, and we are often not aware of the criminal sanctions imposed on uniformed offenders, except for the most highly publicized cases (Nidal Hassan, Lynndie England, etc.). With the recent spate of high-brass misconduct and sex scandals, can we expect their punishments to be highly publicized? Doubtful. Will that lead to an increase in, or lack of deterrence against, more junior Service-members behaving similarly? Almost without a doubt.

So, do groups like "Military Social Media Idiots" serve as a gap-filler, or are they creating more problems than they're worth?

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Posted 10 y ago

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Responses: 6

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SGM Matthew Quick

Posted 10 y ago

No...it's just fanning the flames.

Leaders need to get SERIOUS about service members' social media usage...until an effective education plan is implemented (proper use while IN uniform) and serious punishment is handed out (deterrence), service members may simply enjoy their '15-minutes of fame'.

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SGM Matthew Quick

10 y

SFC Oates,

If we do our part for our Soldiers, we can fix this.

Laying blame on this or that will not solve the problem...never has.

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SSG Zachery Mitchell

Edited 10 y ago

Posted 10 y ago

The group "Military Social Media Idiots" grew like the black plague. I wouldn't say that it is creating more problems, however I wouldn't quite say they are helping solve a problem either.

They are bringing a lot more attention to the "idiots" that are posting stuff on social media websites that should probably not be posted. My concern with a group like this is, yes it's attracting a lot of attention, but what kind of attention is it really attracting? Is it really helping service members realize some stuff they post is wrong? Is it really changing how some people use social media? I don't know. That has yet to be seen I think.

The largest concern though is it's an open group and most of the stuff they post is public so it could very easily be attracting negative attention just as much as the "idiots" that are posting their pictures and attracting negative attention. Just my $.02

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LTC (Join to see)

10 y

Thanks for the response, SSG Mitchell. At least anecdotally, this group has had an impact on Soldiers' actions. That does seem limited to the Army; do other Services have the same problem?

I think the group is certainly bringing wider media attention to the misbehavior of a few, but their antics were already publicly available anyway so I'm not so sure they are "attracting negative attention."

The facts are that they aren't doing anything illegal or subject to civil penalties, so they are free to continue so long as SMs keep giving them material.

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SFC (Join to see)

Edited >1 y ago

Posted >1 y ago

It hasn't changed the attitudes of the Military personnel. It is just a means to bring light to the way today's service members are presenting themselves.

*prepares soap box*

I know I am still a baby in the grand scheme of things. Maybe my upbringing, coupled with my wife (a prior service member and an Army brat), has a lot to do with how I carry myself, present myself, and reflect on my profession. I was raised in a military that was proud. A representation of something greater than that of one person. However, I do not see that in the Soldiers of the "new Army." There is little respect out there, and it is up to us as the leaders to be the proverbial RoundUp and get in the weeds. Instill in the younger generation the aforementioned pride.

BE the example.
KNOW how to get through to the fresh faces in the ranks.
DO what you are charged to do and fix the problem.

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