February 2022
Social media is part of our lives. We rely on it to keep in touch and for information. Yet it is the rare community that relies on it for sharing information. Smart choice!
Social media has become, more than anything else, a platform for grievances. Offering it as a platform for community communications can be harmful when misused by a disgruntled owner, resident or director.
When people talk there can be misinformation. This is a reality we must accept and try to minimize. Offering a vehicle to magnify the impact of misinformation is ill- advised.
Giving residents an opportunity to say online what they wouldn’t or shouldn’t say in person creates a toxic environment. Things can get nasty rather fast as misinformation gets disseminated more quickly; frequently without knowing the source.
Social media is effective as a marketing or sales tool which contributes to its popularity. When used in this way the communicator is able to present information in ways that are incomplete or false while restricting opportunities for clarification or correction. It becomes a one-directional communication vehicle easily misused.
Communication technologies more effective for communities include e-mail, web sites for public information, condo management systems for public and private communications, telephone and posting of notices.
Social media is where people turn to when they want to relax, have less serious conversations, or say something inappropriate or false while remaining anonymous. Offering this as a formal form of communication within a community is unlikely to be beneficial.
