Beware the Social Media Minefield

A Middlesex County Superior Court judge’s former law clerk would have been well served attending one of Middle Township Police Detective Sgt. Doug Osmundsen’s lectures on the minefield of social media. Following the tragic death of a New Jersey State Police trooper, that person posted a comment on a media’s Facebook site. The post was callous and unwarranted. In simple words, the writer effectively submitted her resignation, effective immediately, after that post.
Trooper Anthony Raspa died May 30 after the patrol vehicle in which he was riding on I-195 struck a deer about 12:45 a.m., ran off the highway and struck trees. Taken to a hospital, he later died.
She expressed more remorse over the loss of the animal than for the loss of the trooper’s life. Certainly, Osmundsen will add this latest occurrence of misuse of social media to fortify future lectures that urge caution before posting anything that might be construed, even in the most innocent way, as harmful to someone.
Osmundsen’s instructive presentations, made before the Cape May County League of Municipalities as well as to the Cape May County Chamber of Commerce, were sufficient to make me want to simply unsubscribe from Facebook and other social media outlets altogether. In the modern age, it puzzles me that even “adults” act like simple children on Facebook. It is as if they believe they are talking only to their close circle of friends. In fact, they are broadcasting to the entire global community.
Because of the inherent danger that looms in the world of social media, including Facebook, many public employees and elected officials either refrain altogether or are particularly guarded posting anything, period. Many police officers in particular have taken down their personal sites. That’s because it is very easy to become a target thanks to social media. At one time it was fashionable to post photos of children and family, vacation images and messages such as “We’re off to DisneyWorld at 5 a.m. tomorrow.” In the world of social media trolls, that is the same as stating, “The house is empty, come on in.” or “My daughter’s 4 today.” Think how many twisted minds would love to “get even” with an officer for an arrest by kidnapping or harming a child. Thanks to social media, the world knows all.
As Osmundsen warned the league crowd March 24 at Tuckahoe Inn, many jobs have been lost because of a seemingly innocuous post on Facebook. He noted there is often what amounts to a locker-room mentality that overcomes otherwise decent folks. They become sharks, using posts filled with racial slurs or sexual references that they would never utter face-to-face. Once that “Post” button is clicked, the sentiment remains as if chiseled in granite.
We, at the Herald, know how rude Facebook posts can be. Some comments are so hate-filled and vindictive, one has to wonder what possessed the individual to sit down and write them. It is really scary.
I’m sure everyone who has experienced, either directly or indirectly, a negative post on Facebook believes the world was better before the arrival of the thing. Social media has been instrumental causing much heartache. How many posters have stated, “I wish I hadn’t written that?”
First Amendment champions cite the freedom to say anything in America, because that’s what the amendment is meant to protect. Held to the same standard as news media, posting something “everyone knows” to be true can create great pain for the poster.
To underscore there is a mentality (or lack thereof) sweeping society about electronic swapping of images, consider the situation in which 20 students at Lower Cape May Regional School District found themselves. An adult and 19 juveniles were caught passing nude or partially-nude images of female classmates via cell phones. Given they were mostly underage, one could surmise they didn’t know any better, that transmitting nude images of children is classified by state law as distributing child pornography. We must believe that group has learned valuable lessons, first in morality, which schools are forbidden to teach, and the law, about which they will soon learn a great deal.
The ultimate disposition of their cases will not be known for quite some time. State law imposes very strict punishments for such transmissions because there is no room for child pornography anywhere.
If Facebook is a big part of your virtual social life, think twice before posting. Even that little jab meant to bring a chuckle among friends could result in a legal case against the poster. Worse, it could result in the termination of employment. Osmundsen can relate a string of such terminations for what might be considered, by some, just plain stupid comments.
Thanks to social media, stupid has been elevated to a higher level. Would you be willing to lose your job or wind up in court, facing costly litigation, simply for posting a snide remark you thought appropriate under a photo or story. Think again, it’s a whole new world in social media land. Trespass at your own peril.