Information policies in organisations relating to customers’ actions as digital citizens need to be current and up to date as a result of the constant changing nature of information communication technology and the growing use of social media.  It is vital that organisations understand what is and is not acceptable when using social media, particularly when “research indicates that cyberbullying is occurring among middle and high school student populations at increasing rates” (Pelfrey & Weber, 2015, p. 227).  It is also important that organisations have a clear understanding of the impact it has in relation to ‘news’ and ‘advertising’ and therefore the way they can have a presence in these areas.  Below are some statements and facts from the attached video with a description outlining what this means for organisations.

https://youtu.be/GsdcFOiTYxw

1. Online students out performed those receiving face-to-face instruction – This immediately shows universities how much work and effort needs to be put into ensuring they continue the high levels of teaching to online students but it also makes one question why are the face to face students not performing as well and what can be done to help with this further.
2. We no longer search for the news; the news finds us- Organisations now need to think about ways they can get their news into people’s news feeds. Companies want clients or interested people to be ‘following’ them so they can keep abreast of what is happening in that company and by liking or sharing information it continues to provide a form of advertising and presence in others’ newsfeeds and lives.
3. 50% of the mobile internet traffic in the UK is for Facebook- This is such a large proportion of people for just one social media platform which immediately demonstrates how successful Facebook is. If businesses are trying to reach as many people as possible it is important that they have a presence on Facebook which is the most popular type of social media.
4. YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world- If companies have a presence on YouTube they will most likely be found in some form by people who are searching the same or similar topic words. It is vital that companies have a presence on these platforms and these videos can then also be put onto Twitter as another way of being ‘heard and seen’ by the public at large.
5. Social media isn’t a fad, it’s a fundamental shift in the way we communicate- It is vital that companies are aware of what their clients/patrons and future clients/patrons consume in the world of social media as this is where they need to have a large presence.  They need to be able to communicate easily with others and inform others about their company and what is happening and what will be happening into the future.  Social media is also a way of gaining new clients as a result of observing interaction throughout these social media platforms.

References

Pelfrey, W.V. & Weber, N. (2015).  Student and school staff strategies to combat cyberbullying in an urban student population. Preventing school failure, 59(4), 227-236.

doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1045988X.2014.924087