Dark mobile and ever-slipping social media standards

With so much buzz about fake news at the moment, it’s little wonder social media is seen as the ‘sloppy seconds’ to traditional media. The fact that anyone can publish a blog and make it look professional, then link to it on social media, pay to promote it and get it seen by all and sundry means we’ve seen a definite drop in standards of journalism, once upheld proudly and now just a distant memory to be shared around the watercooler as we scramble to be first with ‘breaking news’.

Mirko Vitali © – 123RF.com

For one thing, it’s increasingly rare for copy to be checked – never mind by a sub editor, I’m talking about having a colleague read through it before it goes online to point out factual inaccuracies or simply by hitting the ‘Spellcheck’ key before publishing for peace of mind over a crucial comma being out of place that completely changes the meaning of the sentence. We want our opinions published, and we want them published now. Similarly, the medical guideline adapted for some media to first do no harm in its reporting fell away fast with the influx of content coming from all sources. We’re all media now.

Why your business needs to worry about unlisted video

This “publish whatever you want” mindset has led to a rise in online bullying and trolls are everywhere – going so far as to send bad wishes to those who are ill – simply for not agreeing with your views, whether that be your thoughts on the latest movie release, your religious beliefs or ideas on parenting. All deeply personal matters that we would have thought twice about discussing with some family members before, yet have become second nature to air online. The fact that we keep our phones on or near us and that they are the first thing we check in the morning and the last at night doesn’t bode well for slowing things down and being more mindful in future.

Extending the business implications, Honeywell enterprise developments speaks of dark mobile as “aspects of an organisation’s mobile environment — hardware, accounts, services, access, and operations — that go unobserved and unmanaged.” It’s everything from poor hardware inventory management to unused online accounts, all of which can cost your business, literally. Then there’s also ‘dark social’ or private sharing favoured by millenials that doesn’t reflect in your brand’s measurement reports, as reported in the tongue-in-cheek [a]listdaily Weekly embedded below:

But ‘dark mobile’ goes beyond this.

In just the latest example of how things have changed, The Techie Guy Liron Segev, who predicted the mobile revolution back in 2000, has noticed that it’s easier than ever to post adult or pirated content and otherwise frowned upon videos to YouTube. That’s because there’s a loop hole that means these can slip by the strictly regimented rules – it’s as simple as marking the content as ‘unlisted’ rather than as public or private. This has huge implications for record labels and any brand that’s ever commissioned a video. Tracking a video tagged as ‘unlisted’ is virtually impossible as it’s unsearchable.

Mobile, the most private of media

Arguably the most popular video streaming site in the world, with creators uploading over 300 hours of video every 60 seconds, Segev confirms that more than half of that Youtube content is viewed on a mobile device – the most private of devices, as we all pull out our phones and plug in our earphones when bored in queues, while on our daily commute or worse, while ‘spending time with family and friends’. Chances are that content that’s dragging our focus from our loved ones is slightly more questionable than funny cartoons and tips to improve our productivity.

For example, we’re still feeling the aftereffect of the girl who live-streamed her own suicide a few weeks ago, with the content going viral and still easily searchable weeks later. She was 12 at the time.

Sure, there are age restrictions for social media use (it’s 13 on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat, according to The Telegraph), but they’re clearly not enforced as effectively as you’d think, as children can sign up for their own accounts with their parents’ permission.

Perhaps it’s time to implement ‘mobile-free’ zones and take a step back before posting our deepest thoughts for all and sundry to read.

Feel free to raise my spirits by posting examples of social media sharing that actually benefits the population in the comment section below!