It`s not uncommon for people to post even the smallest details of their lives from waking up to going to bed. They openly share their location, what they eat at each meal, or details about activities that are generally considered private and personal. They will also share likes and dislikes, thoughts and emotional states, and for the most part, this has become an accepted norm. Often, however, these shares contain not only information about the person sharing, but also information about others. Often, these details are shared on multiple social media platforms, as individuals try to ensure that everyone in their social circle is kept informed about their activities. With this openness to sharing, risks and challenges arise that are often not taken into account, but can have serious implications. The speed and extent to which social media creates information and makes it available almost instantly globally, as well as the fact that once something has been posted, there`s really no way to really remove it, should prompt individuals to think about the potential impact a post can have. Unfortunately, in most cases, posts are created without considering the huge impact they can have on the life of the person posting or others who may be affected by the post. Today`s information and digital age offers widespread use of social media. The use of social media is ubiquitous and permeates all age groups, social classes and cultures.

However, the increasing use of these media comes with privacy concerns and ethical concerns. These privacy issues can have profound professional, personal and security implications. The ultimate protection of privacy in the social media space is very difficult because these media are designed to share information. Participation in social media requires individuals to ignore certain personal privacy restrictions that lead to vulnerability. Weak privacy protections in this area have led to unethical and undesirable behaviour that has led to privacy and security breaches, particularly for the most vulnerable group of users. A scoping study was conducted to examine the use of social media and privacy implications. We looked at how some of the requirements for social media participation and how unethical use of social media can affect users` privacy. The results show that if users of these networks pay attention to privacy settings and the type of information shared, and adhere to universal and fundamental moral values such as mutual respect and kindness, many privacy and unethical issues can be avoided. A final category of ethical issues related to social media concerns the nature of social networking relationships. Faculty members who become Facebook “friends” with students is a somewhat controversial topic.

Does this blur the line between a faculty member and a student? Even if a faculty member is very conscientious in what is posted, they may be aware of the personal information of student “friends” who commit illegal acts, commit transgressions of professionalism39 or show signs of depression or anger that could potentially cause harm to that particular student or others. While there may be benefits to social media relationships, excessive exposure to the other`s personal life can lead to negative outcomes for either. At a minimum, every faculty member should consider the impact of connecting with students via social media. When the founding fathers developed our American justice system, they could not understand the modern social landscape. In an era before electric lighting, the internet, social media, and today`s mainstream media machine were undoubtedly far from developing the law of the land. Nevertheless, media interest in litigation has increasingly influenced the legal profession in recent decades and, more recently, social media has begun to influence effective legal practice and administration of justice. Social media sites can be described as online services that allow users to create “public, semi-public” profiles, or both. Users can create individual profiles and/or be part of a group of people they can get to know offline.[15] They also provide opportunities to make virtual friendships.

Through these virtual friendships, people can access details about their contacts, ranging from personal information and interests to location. Social networking sites offer a variety of tools to facilitate communication. This includes chat rooms, blogs, private messages, public comments, ways to upload off-site content, and share videos and photos. Social media is therefore radically changing the way people communicate and build relationships. In today`s information age, the digital footprint can mean the difference between success and failure. This can be the deciding factor whether or not you achieve your life ambitions. Unethical behaviours and interactions on social media can have significant effects both professionally and socially. Publishing on the Internet means the “end of oblivion”, so it is crucial to use this medium responsibly.