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Social media: the good, the bad and the ugly
Back in June, we co-hosted a webinar on emerging risks in the higher education sector. With the help of our claims partner Gallagher Bassett, and insurance risk and commercial law firm BLM, we looked at some of new challenges universities are up against.
One of the topics we covered was social media and the harm it can cause to student wellbeing and university reputation.
Read on to get a summary of the key issues we touched on and enjoy a short clip of the webinar at the bottom.
Social media: the good, the bad and the ugly
Social media has been around for such a long time, and it’s now getting to a point where some of us can’t remember life without it. It’s grown and multiplied into something we could never have imagined and shows no signs of slowing down.
These platforms are developing at such a rate that it’s making risk managing their negative impact very difficult to stay on top of.
A digital report at the beginning of the year by Hootsuite, WeAreSocial and Kepios gives a stark picture of social media’s reach and just how deeply ingrained it is in everyday life:
- 77.9 percent of the UK population use social media.
- 1.3 million people joined social media globally every day in 2020.
- 2 hrs 25 min is the average time people spend on social media each day (roughly one day a week).
Social media is often the first place we go to communicate, learn something new, read the news, tell friends and family about a major life event and much more.
It’s made life very public, and it can often feel as though there’s no protection around what people say and who they can target.
For universities, social media can be seen as a double-edged sword. On the one hand it can spread positive achievements, promote the good reputation of the institution and even boost enrolment figures.
But its darker side can bring the university into disrepute. Defamatory comments from staff or students can reflect badly on the institution and can often be mistaken as their own. It can have a major impact on the brand of the university and in some cases affect their funding and research opportunities
Social media is also a breeding ground for online bullies and it’s becoming a growing concern for universities in terms of student mental health and wellbeing.
UK legislation is on the way that will hopefully better protect us. The Online Harms Bill looks to hold social media companies to account and penalise them for not taking responsibility for their user’s safety.
It builds on the government’s manifesto to make the UK the safest place in the world to be online, while at the same time defend people’s freedom of expression.
Watch a clip from the webinar
Steve Kuncewicz is Head of Creative, Digital and Marketing Sector Group at BLM. He talks us through what the Harms Bill means for social media companies and how it can better protect universities and the wider public from harmful content.
Published date: 8th September 2021
Disclaimer
This note is not intended to give legal or financial advice, and, accordingly, it should not be relied upon for such. It should not be regarded as a comprehensive statement of the law and or market practice in this area. In preparing this note we have relied on information sourced from third parties and we make no claims as to the completeness or accuracy of the information contained herein. It reflects our understanding as at 17th August 2021, but you will recognise that matters concerning COVID-19 are fast changing across the world. You should not act upon information in this bulletin nor determine not to act, without first seeking specific legal and/or specialist advice. Our advice to our clients is as an insurance broker and is provided subject to specific terms and conditions, the terms of which take precedence over any representations in this document. No third party to whom this is passed can rely on it. We and our officers, employees or agents shall not be responsible for any loss whatsoever arising from the recipient’s reliance upon any information we provide herein and exclude liability for the content to fullest extent permitted by law. Should you require advice about your specific insurance arrangements or specific claim circumstances, please get in touch with your usual contact at Risk Management Partners.
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Risk Management Partners Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
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Sources
https://wearesocial.com/blog/2021/01/digital-2021-the-latest-insights-into-the-state-of-digital
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/landmark-laws-to-keep-children-safe-stop-racial-hate-and-protect-democracy-online-published
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