On the face of it, social media has rapidly transformed the way the world works. But when we peel back the layers, all is not always well. While social media has done wonders in increasing connectivity, it is also shaping attitudes in a way that is causing people to drift away from reality.
In the professional world, this becomes an even bigger concern as social media gradually seeps into employee behaviors. The end result? A rise in issues such as upward social comparison and insecurity, which, in the long run, lead to discontent in the workflow.
The tricky part is that these influences are no longer limited to popular apps such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. Now, even hidden or lesser-known apps impact attitudes, eventually integrating themselves into employee work habits.
To explore this more deeply, this article does a deep dive into how social media apps can affect employee actions and what you can do to decrease their influence.
Why Businesses Can’t Ignore Social Media’s Internal Influence
Social media platforms are created to be interactive and inclusive. Therefore, their role is not restricted to personal lives or public opinions. For businesses, factors such as engagement, employee productivity, and even, in some cases, project progress, are directly connected to social media platforms.
Studies indicate that 78% of employees use social media during work hours. These stats show how using such apps while also ensuring work is getting done is a complex process. Professional balance, therefore, becomes very delicate.
To put it simply, if employees are influenced by specific trends or posts, it eventually shows up in their work in one way or another. When this happens, the external branding of an organization, such as marketing and customer engagement, is also pulled into the loop. Plus, it makes the internal effects of social media all the more unpredictable.
How Social Media Can Shape Employee Attitudes
Social media impacts employee attitudes in many different ways, creating hurdles in the way work is carried out. Below, we have discussed the most prominent ones.
Divisive Thinking and Group Bias
Social media’s biggest negative outcome has been in the form of online comparisons, and the professional world is no exception to this. Social media algorithms only showcase content that would appeal to the user. This creates a divide in ideas, opinions, and by extension, work ethics.
A further dimension to this is that employees might eventually develop opinions that do not align with the organization’s policies and values. Gradually, small disagreements can snowball into major divides and the creation of prejudices where the ideas of some are valued more than others.
In such a scenario, group biases become inevitable, damaging business stability and order. Moreover, internal divides emerge in external projects and affairs, which creates disorganization and long-term losses in reputation and resources.
Decline in Focus and Attention Span
Recent reports have shown that average attention spans have decreased by 12 seconds in the past 15 years. Numbers like this put into perspective how businesses may have to face the problem of an overall decline in workforce focus.
Social media apps function based on posts and videos that do not require a lot of mental effort. How? Such apps create a cycle where you can not focus constantly. So employees are constantly alternating between their phone and their work. What results is an overall downfall of focus as they lose their ability to deal with more complex tasks.
In a broader sense, this also restricts overall business efficiency as the work requirements can only be met one at a time. Plus, the overall quality of work is affected as employees are unable to direct the necessary focus towards the completion of their tasks.
Unrealistic Expectations and Job Discontent
Another way that social media apps impact employee behaviors is by creating unrealistic expectations. But where are these expectations coming from? The answer to this lies in the newsfeeds and explore pages of the apps used.
Popular platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, etc. always show people content they can relate to. In this context, it also includes glamourized lifestyles and work environments that people wish for. Constant exposure to such videos and reels inculcates dissatisfaction among the viewer, the employee.
With time, they begin to feel trapped in their current job and hope for the kind of business and office setup that they see on their phone screens. This can translate into demotivation and an unwillingness to put effort into projects and tasks.
Informal or Disruptive Communication Norms
The impact of social media apps spreads deep into employee behavior, including the way they act in everyday life. The problem is that, with passing time, social media content is becoming more and more versatile. But that isn’t necessarily a good thing.
Versatility also means the popularity of slang terms, Gen Z lingo, and overall informal actions. Constant exposure to such words and behaviors leads to them becoming a permanent part of daily routines.
In a professional workplace, actions like this come off as ill-disciplined and disruptive. Plus, most of the time, it damages patterns of relaying information. While it may not come off as a major issue, it can eventually lead to severe communication gaps that prevent logical outcomes.
What Can Businesses Do About It?
The situation may come off as severe. But don’t worry, all is not lost. There are many ways that you can counter the effects of social media apps. Here are some of the best ones.
Establish Clear Social Media Policies
As social media apps continue to go through innovations, it is important for organizations to create policies that keep those updates in check. By creating clear-cut rules and regulations related to social media usage in the workplace, you can minimize its bad impacts.
These policies should also be extended to social media app activities on workplace devices. In essence, it creates a series of virtual boundaries that keep employees aware of what they can and cannot do.
In doing so, organizations can also create a disciplined work environment where the maximum focus is placed on productivity. Plus, it creates spaces for overall company progress and revenue generation.
Invest in Digital Literacy and Influence Awareness
Awareness and digital literacy are always the most important steps towards regulating employee actions. So, how can this be made possible? The best way is to provide understanding and guidance about the negative influences of social media apps. By extension, you can emphasize how excessively using these apps can be risky.
However, rigidity is never the solution. Instead of taking an approach, you should rather thoroughly explain what types of effects social media usage can lead to.
You can further emphasize digital literacy by conducting seminars and workshops. The basic idea is to take a dualistic approach that focuses on company concerns and employee well-being. Through this, you can take mutual steps based on trust.
Proactively Monitor Company-Provided Phones
The most effective way to decrease the negative impacts of social media apps is to regularly keep a lookout for what happens on company-provided phones.
Having a company-provided phone does not immediately mean that it will only be used for work-related activities. Additionally, if an organization prevents the usage of personal devices during work hours, the chances of work phones being used increase.
Seeing such patterns, it is important for companies to carry out physical or digital audits. By doing so, any social media app can be discovered immediately.
The tricky part is that many of them are disguised or tucked away, which is why you need to know how to find those hidden social media apps.
This is where monitoring apps make life easier. They can spot apps that have been renamed and show you what is being opened and when. You don’t have to dig through every folder – just let the tool surface the red flags. It is a simple way to stay one step ahead without constantly playing phone detective.
Create a Culture of Transparency
While taking action is necessary, so is encouraging trust and honesty. Reason? Businesses can not thrive if there is a disconnect between the heads and the workforce. Statistics in the current time support this, as 60% of CMOs identify trust-building as essential for long-term success.
The purpose behind this is to bridge the gaps between the employee and the employer. By staying open about why social media apps are harmful, a thoughtful approach can be taken towards meeting goals within the company. The main purpose should always be to keep communication open.
Conclusion: Small Digital Behaviors, Big Organizational Consequences
At the end of the day, it is important to understand the depth of power social media has. Not only does it influence our thoughts, but also our actions, be it through work phones or personal devices. So it isn’t something that can be taken lightly.
Now that you’re hopefully well-versed on the effects and remedies of social media apps, it is also important to focus on staying aware. The main idea is to reduce passive digital shaping. Social media influence is gradual and long-term, so the best way is to address it at the root before it develops into something irreversible.
