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Ethics in Information Technology, Sixth Edition
Chapter 9
Social Media
At a Glance
Instructor’s Manual Table of Contents
• Overview
• Objectives
Lecture Notes
Overview
Chapter 9, “Social Media,” discusses how people use social media, identifies common business
uses of social media, and examines many of the ethical issues associated with the use of social
media. The most popular social networking platforms are identified. The business applications of
social media are covered, including the use of social networks to communicate and promote the
Objectives
As students read this chapter, they should consider the following questions:
• How do individuals use social networks, and what are some practical business uses of
social networking and other social media tools?
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• What are some of the key ethical issues associated with the use of social networks and
other social media? Teaching Tips
Organizations Behaving Badly
1. Ask students to consider whether the expectations that people behave in a decent and
civil manner should be (or are) different on social media versus in person. That is, is the
I. What Is Social Media?
1. Introduce the term social media—web-based communication channels and tools that
2. Discuss some of the common features of social media.
II. Social Networking Platforms
1. Introduce the term social networking platform.
4. Use Figure 9-1 to aid a discussion of the global mobile social network penetration rates
III. Business Applications of Social Media
1. Point out that although many social networking platforms were originally targeted at
Teaching
Tip
The popularity of social media sites is constantly changing. Ask students to share
the names of some newer, popular social networking platforms that do not appear
in the list in Table 9-1. What features do these new social media tools offer that
is drawing users to them—and possibly away from more established tools?
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2. Note that an increasing number of business-oriented social networking platforms
A. Social Media Marketing
1. Explain that social network marketing involves the use of social networks to
2. Point out that two significant advantages of social media marketing over more traditional
3. Introduce the term organic media marketing. Note that social networks do not charge
for organic media marketing.
6. Introduce the term earned media. Note that the volume of earned media a company has
is a factor in determining how high that organization ranks in Google’s search engine.
B. Social Media in the Hiring Process
1. Note that according to CareerBuilder, 60 percent of employers used social media to
marketing might prefer a fee structure based on cost per thousand impressions
(CPM) rather than cost per click (CPC)—and vice versa.
Spend time discussing why a company looking to place paid social media
Teaching
Tip
Ask students to share some memorable viral marketing campaigns. Did those
campaigns influence the students to make a purchase? Did they make the
students more loyal to that brand?
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3. Social media users frequently provide sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation, religion,
and political affiliation data in their profile. Users who upload personal photos may
4. Emphasize that employers cannot legally screen applicants based on race or ethnicity.
C. Improving Customer Service Using Social Media
1. Increasingly, consumers are using social media to share their experiences, both good and
2. Note that unless organizations monitor and engage with customers on social media, their
customers are left to resolve their issues and questions on their own, often in ways that
are not ideal.
D. Social Shopping Platforms
1. Introduce the term social shopping platform. Use Table 9-3 to aid a discussion of some
popular social shopping platforms.
Critical Thinking Exercise
1. Students will likely have a variety of suggestions for such a website, depending on their
interests and background. Encourage students to consider what particular social media
Encourage students to read the following Forbes article to learn about “social
Teaching
Tip
Ask students to share some of the social shopping platforms they use on a regular
basis. What draws students to certain platforms?
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Quick Quiz 1
1. A(n) _____ creates an online community of Internet users that enables members to break
down barriers created by time, distance, and cultural differences.
2. (True or False) Millennials spend the most hours per week on social media—at over 5
hours per week.
3. _____ involves the use of social networks to communicate and promote the benefits of
products and services.
4. _____ refers to the media exposure an organization gets through press and social media
mentions, positive online ratings, and reviews, tweets and retweets, reposts (or “shares”),
recommendations,
5. The goal of a(n) _____ campaign is to create a buzz about a product or idea that spreads
wide and fast.
IV. Social Networking Ethical Issues
1. Point out that when you have an Internet community of nearly 4 billion people online, not
A. Cyberabuse, Cyberharrassment, and Cyberstalking
1. Introduce the term cyberabuse—any form of mistreatment or lack of care, both physical
2. Explain that cyberharassment is a form of cyberabuse in which the abusive behavior,
3. Discuss some of the tips for avoiding becoming a victim of cyberabuse.
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4. The term cyberstalking is a subcategory of cyberabuse that consists of a long-term
5. Use Table 9-4 to aid a discussion of cyberharrassment and cyberstalking.
6. Introduce the National Center for Victims of Crime, and describe the detailed set of
8. Use Table 9-6 to aid a discussion about federal laws addressing cyberstalking.
B. Encounters with Sexual Predators
1. Explain that some social networking platforms, law enforcement, and the courts have
been criticized for not doing enough to protect minors from encounters with sexual
predators.
2. Explain that most law enforcement officers understand that dangers exist in not
C. Uploading of Inappropriate Material
1. Most social networking platforms have terms of use agreements, a privacy policy, or a
content code of conduct that summarizes key legal aspects regarding use of the site.
2. Emphasize that policies do not stop all members of the community from attempting to
post inappropriate material, and Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act
Ask students to visit the website of one of the organizations listed in Table 9-5,
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3. Briefly discuss “revenge porn,” including the example of the Marines United Facebook
D. Employee Participation in Social Media Networks
1. Remind students that the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects the right of
2. Organizations should put in place a social media policy to avoid legal issues and set clear
E. Miscellaneous Social Media Issues
1. Note that studies have found that talking on the phone while driving activity quadruples
your risk of an accident to about the same level as if you were driving drunk! Emphasize
that that risk doubles again, to eight times normal, if you are texting.
2. Discuss the ways in which social media can bring out the narcissist tendencies of users—
driving them to go on and on about how great their life is. Point out that such posts paint
Critical Thinking Exercise
1. Advantages of the proposed program are that it could raise awareness of the company and
Teaching
Tip
Ask students to investigate the outcome of the Marines United investigation.
What were the consequences for Marines (both active-duty and former) who
were found to have posted photos of female Marines without their knowledge or
permission?
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is using social media
to raise awareness about distracted driving: “The Government Will Publicly
Shame You If You Text and Drive,” (www.businessinsider.com/nhtsa-shame-
Ask students to read the following Business Insider article to learn how the
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take part in the program by writing and sharing messages that they don’t believe in—
which could hurt employee morale. In addition, viewers of such a post may sense that it
Quick Quiz 2
1. _____ is any form of mistreatment or lack of care, both physical and mental, based on the
use of an electronic communications device that causes harm and distress to others
2. (True or False) The terms of use agreements, privacy policies, and content codes of
conduct of most social networking platforms gives them the right to delete the material
and terminate user accounts that violate the site’s policies.
3. (True or False) Talking on the phone while driving does little to increase your risk of an
accident.
Discussion Questions
1. Is the information posted on social media sites about news events occurring in foreign
countries a reliable source of up-to-the-minute news?
Additional Projects
1. Read the following Fast Company article highlighting the innovative use of social media
by ten companies; then, pick one of the companies, and write a paper outlining what
makes its use of social media particularly innovative. What makes it stand out from its
competitors?
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2. Write a paper exploring the privacy policy of three social shopping platforms. Do they
sell user information to third parties?
3. Research the laws regarding cyberstalking in your state. Does your state have an anti-
Additional Resources
Key Terms
cost per thousand impressions (CPM): One of the two common methods of charging for paid
media, where ads are billed at a flat rate per 1,000 impressions, which is a measure of the
number of times an ad is displayed – whether it was actually clicked on or not.
cost per click (CPC): One of the two common methods of charging for paid media, where ads
are paid for only when someone actually clicks on them.
cyberstalking: Threatening behavior or unwanted advances directed at an adult using the
Internet or other forms of online and electronic communications; the adult version of
cyberbullying.
earned media: Media exposure an organization gets through press and social media mentions,
positive online ratings, reviews, tweets and retweets, reposts (or “shares”), recommendations,
and so on.
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social media: Web-based communication channels and tools that enable people to interact with
each other by creating online communities where they can share information, ideas, messages,
and other content, including images, audio, and video.
social media marketing: A form of marketing that involves the use of social networks to
communicate and promote the benefits of products and services.