MindCrime
Footballguy
Tl:dr
do you have any experience with people living completely through social media, to the point that the real world seems secondary to them? Especially someone who did not grow up on social media? (No- this is not the thread where you call out xxxx member of this board)
Backstory-
i hired a guy about 9 years ago. (Knew him for about 5 years prior to that) Over the course of the last 9 years, he has increasingly lived on Facebook. In person, he's pretty much a loner, 50+ years old, no wife or kids. But he's got a million Facebook "friends".
A few years back, he made some remarks on Facebook regarding work. At the time, I would check Facebook every few days, and happened to see the comments. I pulled him aside at work, and spoke to him about what he posts on social media regarding work, and how his comments could easily be misconstrued. Not an official warning or action, no write up, no documentation, just a "hey- watch how you say things" 2 minute conversation. He thanked me, and all seemed well and good. A few days later, I realize that he "unfriended" myself and many coworkers. I actually thought this was a good thing- let him keep his personal life separate from work.
About 2 years ago, it gets back to me that he made some unkind posts regarding a client's company. The news came from a mutual acquaintance, as I can't see anything he posts, but someone from the client's company saw it too. I officially wrote him up for this, and demanded a written apology to the client. He did, client was very cool about the whole situation.
Last week, we are in a presentation at work, and the VP of our company stumbles over a sentence while talking with all employees, as well as some outside guests. Apparently this guy sees fit to make fun of it on Facebook while it's happening. I don't see it, but someone screenshots it and shows the VP. VP actually took it pretty well, but wrote an email to the guy asking if he'd like to discuss his comments in person. (At this point, I'm unaware of any of this. VP told me later that it wasn't something she felt needed to be escalated into a formal thing) Later that night, I get a voicemail from my employee telling me that he's leaving his badge, keys, and laptop in the office and that he'll be out of my hair. Basically walks out in the middle of the night without ever confronting any of this, through email, phone, text, nada.
Now, a week later, I'm getting texts from friends with screenshots of this guy calling me out on Facebook for unprofessional behavior, making me and my company out as the bad guys. Also, I've already received one phone call from a person I've known for years, telling me that this guy just applied for a job at his company,and while he has no clue what happened at my company, he wouldn't hire the guy after seeing how unprofessionally he acts on Facebook.
i know- I'm posting this on an internet message board, looking for responses from people I've never met. But really? A grown man can get so lost in social media, and prop up his own life with it, that he's willing to lose a job over it, and publicly burn bridges while doing so? It amazes me.
/rant
do you have any experience with people living completely through social media, to the point that the real world seems secondary to them? Especially someone who did not grow up on social media? (No- this is not the thread where you call out xxxx member of this board)
Backstory-
i hired a guy about 9 years ago. (Knew him for about 5 years prior to that) Over the course of the last 9 years, he has increasingly lived on Facebook. In person, he's pretty much a loner, 50+ years old, no wife or kids. But he's got a million Facebook "friends".
A few years back, he made some remarks on Facebook regarding work. At the time, I would check Facebook every few days, and happened to see the comments. I pulled him aside at work, and spoke to him about what he posts on social media regarding work, and how his comments could easily be misconstrued. Not an official warning or action, no write up, no documentation, just a "hey- watch how you say things" 2 minute conversation. He thanked me, and all seemed well and good. A few days later, I realize that he "unfriended" myself and many coworkers. I actually thought this was a good thing- let him keep his personal life separate from work.
About 2 years ago, it gets back to me that he made some unkind posts regarding a client's company. The news came from a mutual acquaintance, as I can't see anything he posts, but someone from the client's company saw it too. I officially wrote him up for this, and demanded a written apology to the client. He did, client was very cool about the whole situation.
Last week, we are in a presentation at work, and the VP of our company stumbles over a sentence while talking with all employees, as well as some outside guests. Apparently this guy sees fit to make fun of it on Facebook while it's happening. I don't see it, but someone screenshots it and shows the VP. VP actually took it pretty well, but wrote an email to the guy asking if he'd like to discuss his comments in person. (At this point, I'm unaware of any of this. VP told me later that it wasn't something she felt needed to be escalated into a formal thing) Later that night, I get a voicemail from my employee telling me that he's leaving his badge, keys, and laptop in the office and that he'll be out of my hair. Basically walks out in the middle of the night without ever confronting any of this, through email, phone, text, nada.
Now, a week later, I'm getting texts from friends with screenshots of this guy calling me out on Facebook for unprofessional behavior, making me and my company out as the bad guys. Also, I've already received one phone call from a person I've known for years, telling me that this guy just applied for a job at his company,and while he has no clue what happened at my company, he wouldn't hire the guy after seeing how unprofessionally he acts on Facebook.
i know- I'm posting this on an internet message board, looking for responses from people I've never met. But really? A grown man can get so lost in social media, and prop up his own life with it, that he's willing to lose a job over it, and publicly burn bridges while doing so? It amazes me.
/rant
Last edited by a moderator:
), but never thought of it from the flip side- those who use it to pretend they have more friends due to the fact that they are lacking social skills in the real world.
