9781422274149

content spreads quickly over social networks, not unlike a physical virus that causes an epidemic of illness. Viral content consists of material that is likely to be shared among social networks. Today, many websites offer easy ways to spread content among friends. For example, Twitter offers a “retweet” button, Pinterest allows you to

CONSEQUENCES OF SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS

Can people get into trouble for social media posts? Apart from the social implications of posting certain information online, a user may also face professional, civil, and criminal consequences, depending on what is posted. Seventeen states, including California, Arkansas, Illinois, and Washington, have passed laws that protecting employees from being forced to share the usernames and passwords associated with their social media accounts with their employers. However, these laws do not prevent employers from firing their employees if they make inappropriate social media posts. For example, an employee who reveals confidential information about his or her company on Facebook or Instagram could be filed. An employee can also be filed for sharing offensive memes, particularly if the poster can be identified as an employee of the

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Contemporary Issues: Privacy and Social Media