Archive for the ‘Facebook’ Category

New Parenting Tactics Emerge on Social Media

By Cathy Rodgers
This blog post also appeared on Marketing Mel Feb. 13, 2012

Dave Ramsey the Practical Money Manager

With the viral spread of a Dad trying to teach his daughter a lesson on Facebook, it gives one pause to think of what the long-term effects of social media are, and what the long-term effects are on all the relationships involved.

Is this too much family information gone public?  What is the impact of all this personal information?  Where does it all end?

Many view the incident of shooting the daughters computer as a total act of anger, but as a parent myself, I view this as a total waste of money (plus I know I will have to shell out money for something later because teenagers are not cheap). Having a lot of friends who are Dave Ramsey providers, I receive frequent tips, hints, and “think before you do that” lessons.  I wonder what the financial guru himself would say? 

All opinion aside, people from all over the nation have either sided with this father or decided to hate on him.  The sad thing is the father is a small business owner, yet has generated as much hate and love as a politician.  I wonder if he is prepared for the impact this will have on his business?  This could be considered a PR crisis.

 Here are a Few Insights About the Laptop Shooting Dad

1. If you are a business owner, everything you do or say on social media channels can be judged in relation to the image of your business.  You may be the best at what you do, but business is conducted based on relationships.
2. Relationships tend to have a “ripple” impact within a business community.  If the talk of the cocktail party is the video dad and some think he is a “psycho” or “angry”,  yet others already have loyalty to the business, will that lead to loyal clients sending more business referrals as they put their own reputation on the line? 
3. Even if the father decides to get out of the limelight and takes down the You Tube video and deletes his personal Facebook page, will it all be forgotten?  At this stage, the whole subject has achieved the “tipping” point in information sharing and can continue to be talked about as much as murder in a small town.
4. What is the impact on others?  This short list shows how far reaching social media really is. I wonder if the father thought about the impact this video would have on all the people effected (and how they digest and respond to the information within their own homes and families). 
   1. His own daughter, Hannah.
   2. All members of Hannah’s immediate and extended family.
   3. All of Hannah’s close friends.
   4. The parents and grandparents of those friends.
   5. Hannah’s church family (or sports teams).
   6. People who do business with the father.
   7. People who live and work in the town they live in.
   8. Vendors and business partners of the father.
   9. The teachers in the school Hannah attends.
   10. Hannah’s future opportunities for high school, employment and college.
   11. There are more …

 I invite you to view this video for yourself with relationship building in mind.