Tuesday 3 February 2015

When to stay away from Facebook


I have a brother who is a doctor that treats patients with naloxone, which is a drug used to combat against opioids. It is also used as a treatment against drug overdoses. Naloxone kits have been distributed to people at risk of opioid overdose and they have been trained to administer this anti-opioid. My brother’s practice has grown by leaps and bounds since the day he started treating patients with this medication. It has grown because, sadly, there is a great need for his services.

Most businesses need to include social media as part of their marketing strategy because they want to increase their exposure and attract new business. It is a way to listen and get a pulse of what is happening in their particular industry. In addition, it provides another avenue for their customers’ voices to be heard.

In my brother’s case, he does not need help in attracting clients because of the nature of his ‘business’. He does not need to draw attention to his line of work simply because there are some strong opinions out there and it would make his job harder to do.

A Facebook page would be detrimental for his patients; even if was only to provide information and even if it were to a closed group. If he had a Facebook page, the mere fact they ‘like’ it may not sit well with their employers and it could be used against them. There are some businesses that simply do not need to be on social media, and his is one of them.

What is posted online stays forever, no matter if it is deleted. It sits somewhere in the digital world and that means it can be accessed. Let’s say someone posted a photo and another person merely ‘liked’ it. Just by ‘liking’ the photo could have severe ramifications. Just ask Ryan Millet, the whistleblower in the Dalhousie University dental school scandal. According to The Toronto Sun, he was suspended merely for ‘liking’ a (tasteless) photo.

The point is, although social media is all the rage and for most businesses, it is inconceivable not to have some sort of presence, there is always an exception to the rule. Organizations dealing with sensitive issues, such as mental health and addiction, may want to look at other means of connecting with their clients in order to avoid subjecting them to further social stigma.

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