Teaching Case: Congratulations!…to the World? One Person's Experience with Social Media

Social media has quickly garnered the attention and interaction of users of all ages from around the world. The growth in popularity of social media platforms raises important issues for individuals and organizations regarding how to interact with the relatively new technology. This teaching case describes the experience of an information systems Ph.D. graduate whose confidential notification regarding her employment went public on Facebook. The case highlights four key learning objectives relevant for students learning about social media in the context of business: 1) identifying changes that come with the advent of social media including the speed, scope, and structure of communication in a social network, 2) understanding the variety of stakeholders who control the message in social media, 3) evaluating the positive and negative impacts of confidential information being released publicly, and 4) discussing how reactions to the scenario may differ among unique segments of the population. The case is designed as an introductory case for an undergraduate or graduate course pertaining to the topics of social media, Web 2.0, and internet-enabled technologies in business.