I do indeed love the world of social media. From my perspective, this new world of communication has done much good for our society. But like any other instrument, something that it used for good can also be used in a harmful way.

I love the freedom of expression pervasive in social media. This relatively new means of expression and communication has given power to those who had little power in the past. Anyone now has a platform to express himself or herself. Everyone has the ability to critique and vent about organizations and people.

There is indeed a sense of liberation in the new world of social media. But some cautionary warning signals are being made lest we who love social media show little or no restraint in what we write, record, photograph, or video.

Growing Legal Concerns

Dana Rousmaniere noted in a recent Harvard Business Review article the growth of lawsuits against social media users. She cited the specific example of a critic of a homebuilder who vented her concerns online about the contractor. As a consequence the homebuilder went forward with a $750,000 defamation lawsuit, stating that the unsubstantiated complaint cost him significant business.

Rousmaniere said: “Free-speech advocates say the lawsuits are heavy-handed attempts to stifle critical — but valuable — consumer information. Business owners argue that a defamatory review can devastate a business. Lawyers say such cases are a cautionary tale for a new era: Those who feel targeted by defamation on the Web are more likely to file suit, and judges and juries are more likely to take such claims seriously than in years past, raising the legal stakes over vitriolic reviews, nasty blog comments and Facebook feuds.”

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