Social Media—A Virtual Pandora’s Box: Prevalence, Possible Legal Liabilities, and Policies,

With the increase in the use of mobile devices in the workplace, both employer supplied and personally owned, and the major role social media has begun to play in today’s world, businesses face many new challenges with their employees’ use of social media. With the touch of a button, information can be disseminated to millions of people across the globe. Businesses have never before had the opportunity to communicate with customers with such immediacy, providing “intriguing new communication channels for organizational members to share information and talk to various stakeholders” (Meredith, 2012, p. 89). Because of these benefits, social media may be seen by some employers as a virtual Pandora’s Box. Pandora expected wonderful treasures to be contained in her beautiful box, and social media, on the surface, may appear as a wondrous, magnificent tool that holds bountiful riches. However, on unlocking the box, Pandora found that things such as lust, envy, hate, and jealousy were unleashed instead. Likewise, in opening the virtual box of social media, company or employee posts that seem beneficial, or at worst harmless, can unleash a firestorm of unforeseen consequences.