Contents
- Top things to remember
- Social media and mental health
- Beware inappropriate conduct when using social media
- Reporting inappropriate content
- Useful Links
These guidelines are designed to provide advice and guidance to University of Glasgow students when using social media but should also be considered when posting on University Teams channels & networks. The benefits and popularity of social media may seem obvious and well-understood, but these guidelines touch on what can happen if social media is misused, and steps you can take to safeguard your own wellbeing and reputation while being a student; personal safety and security; and even your current/future career prospects.
Top things to remember when using social media, at all times when you are at work, representing the University, or even in an informal or personal capacity:
- Think before posting: social media helps us work openly and connect or network with others – just stop and ask yourself whether you may end up regretting your post;
- Have you thought about what your comments and/or images might look like from another perspective? You might find the meme hilarious but it could be offensive to someone else, If in doubt, don’t post;
- Accuracy: have you got your facts right? Check the accuracy of what you are posting before pressing submit;
- Your online footprint is permanent: remember once something is posted online it’s very difficult, or even impossible, to remove it. Be aware of how to restrict public access to your profile, and find out how to check and adjust your account privacy/security settings, so your post is only able to be seen by those of your own choosing.
- Also be aware that even if you have good privacy settings, tweets can be re-tweeted/images can be shared etc far beyond their original audience and you will not be able to control that.
- As a registered student of the University you are expected to adhere to the University’s Code of Conduct for the use of IT Facilities and the Code of Student Conduct. You are expected to apply the same standards of conduct online as are required offline, whether acting as a student of Glasgow University or in a personal capacity;
- If you are studying on a professional degree – (Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Teaching, Law or Dentistry) bear in mind that in addition to the University’s rules & regulations you are also bound to adhere to accrediting body’s own rules regarding your online & offline conduct.
From push notifications to targeted advertisements, the manipulative practices of social media are real. To be blunt, these platforms are designed to lure us in and keep us there (the more time we’re plugged in, the better it is for the company and the more money they make!). Unfortunately for us, the negative impact of social media only gets worse the more time we spend on it. And once we’re hooked, the platforms tend to be the only winners.
Overuse of social media has been found to result in users experiencing anxiety, low-mood or depression and sleep disruption.
There are some simple things you can do to keep track of and reduce the amount of time you spend online. Headspace have compiled some handy tips to try and use social media more mindfully.
Beware the following
Hate Crime – Do not post anything that could be considered discriminatory against, or bullying or harassment of, any individual e.g. making offensive or derogatory comments relating to sex, gender reassignment, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief or age.
Aside from breaching the University’s own rules & regulations, it is a criminal offence to post anything online that is of a discriminatory nature. If you are not sure what comprises Hate Crime or a Hate Incident, see our guide to dealing with Bullying and Harassment.
Political/current news commentary – there is nothing wrong with having a political opinion, or strong feelings about an issue, but don’t be a “Keyboard Warrior”. Be wary of venting uncontrollably on social media, even when you are sure you are in the right.
Photos and videos: A picture is worth a thousand words. Bullying or harassment can be in visual form as well as written. Beware of posting inappropriate photos on Instagram/Snapchat, etc. These are not as anonymous or temporary as you may think;
What to do if you wish to report inappropriate behaviour online
If you think you have been the target of online harassment or bullying yourself, or if you have witnessed inappropriate behaviour, and you would like to speak to someone in confidence, there are a number of things you can do. Most sites will have a method of reporting unacceptable behaviour to the site administrators.
You can also adjust the settings on your site to restrict access to yourself, i.e. ‘Only me’ or only close friends, or you can block or unfollow certain individuals, or remove messages or photos which have been posted on your site by others if you feel they are inappropriate, or even if you just don’t like what has been posted.
If you feel that things have already gone beyond your control, consider speaking to your Adviser of Studies, or an academic member of staff, a University of Glasgow Respect Adviser, one of the university chaplains, or the SRC Advice Centre. They will be able to give you advice on what you can do if you wish to report the matter.
Useful links
University of Glasgow Dignity and Work and Study policy – this also contains links to how to report an incident or how to seek support if you’ve been affected by bullying or harassment online.
Citizens’ Advice webpages including advice on taking action against online harassment.
Cyberbullying – although aimed at school pupils, this site provides some useful links and factsheets about cyberbullying and advice for young people on how to deal with it.