Why Facebook And Social Media May Be Ruining Your Career

Some estimates say that almost half of all Facebook users age 18 to 34 check their Facebook accounts right when they wake up in the morning. Over a quarter even check their friends’ statuses before they get out of bed. Twitter addiction isn’t much better. One study says that over 20% of Twitter users use their accounts as their only means to find out the morning news.

Why Social Media May Be Ruining Your Career

While there is a growing explosion of the use of social media and its addictive properties, there is a danger to its overuse as well. American workers and companies are feeling the wrath of overuse and unhealthy social media use during company time. It can be detrimental to your career as well which has the potential to impact your wallet.

40% of Generation Y worker would rather have social media access at work instead of a higher salary!Click To Tweet

You Are Not Working

Believe it or not, but your employer hired you to work. They didn’t hire you to update your Facebook status. While you are playing around on the internet and on different social media websites either on your work computer or your smart phone, you are not working or earning a profit for your employer’s business.

Social media is the number one detriment to your career when it comes to social media websites at work. How much more productive could you be to your job if you didn’t update your status? How many more great ideas or new business leads could you have come up with during that time? We are all a function of what we accomplish at work, and you will accomplish less if you are not actively working.

People Know Too Much About You

It often isn’t healthy for too many of your peers and often your subordinates to know too much about you. While it can be beneficial for your team to know each other in a deeper sense, there are many personal aspects of our lives which we freely post online now. The true danger comes when a leader’s authority is undermined because of who he or she is friends with online on social media websites.

Your Boss Knows Where You Are

Checking in on Facebook can have a serious repercussion on your career. Now your boss and your coworkers can see where you are. You have to be cognizant of where you check in online and more importantly at what time of the day that you checked in. Were you supposed to be at your desk instead of on a coffee run?

Did you telegraph to the entire world that you left work early the other day? Make sure that you also turn off the location tracking that most social media websites include in your status updates now.

Were you supposed to be at your desk instead of on a coffee run? Did you telegraph to the entire world that you left work early the other day? Make sure that you also turn off the location tracking that most social media websites include in your status updates now.

You Feel Bad About Your Life

A new study found that one out of every three Facebook users felt jealous or envious after looking through pictures and posts from their friends. The study found that your friends vacation pictures make you the most depressed. So, this is just another classic example of how social media is not just possibly ruining your career, but it is making your miserable too. So, push back from the Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snap Pic, Google Plus, and the list goes on and on. Take a break!

I’ll be the first to admit that I use social media a lot. I’m a blogger. I almost have to. But, there is a fine line between a lot of use and obsessed. Whether you are talking about your job, your finances, your health, or even your relationship with your friends and family, like most things in life social media is better in moderation.

Are You Addicted To Social Media

Answer these questions to give you an idea if you may have a problem being addicted to social media websites or the internet.

1. Have you tried to turn off your social media, email, or Facebook account and ended up going immediately back to the site?

2. Do you find yourself less productive in your work or studies?

3. Do you use social media websites as an escape for relaxation and pleasure?

4. Do you find yourself constantly checking how many people liked or commented on your updates?

While the title of this post and the body talks about how more and more people have an unhealthy relationship and are potentially addicted to Facebook, that’s not the only social media site. So, please do not think that I have a vendetta against Facebook specifically. I don’t. I love it and use it just like everyone else. It is just one of the many that has captured our internet usage with abandon and won’t let go.

What about you? Are you addicted to social media websites and updating your profiles and status? Do your friends’ happy vacation pictures make you jealous and depressed? How many people do you know either personally or indirectly whose lives were turned upside down by what was posted about them and their family online?