Social media policies in Indiana universities and government employee handbooks

Abstract

This study will present a comprehensive look at social media policies in the handbooks of Indiana universities and local government employee handbooks for Indiana’s most populated cities. There is a growing sense of urgency from academics and professionals alike to rein in the virtually unencumbered world of social media, as it becomes more deeply ingrained into the daily rituals of people worldwide. It is clear that the rate of adoption of habitual social media use is at a fever pitch, growing consistently at a disquieting rate. Due to the fact that the Internet provides this space for creative collaboration and communication, there has been limited ability for ground rules to be set for appropriate use of Internet technologies, particularly in the area of social media. The focus of this research is to see where Indiana’s local government agencies and major universities are in that process. The aim is to see if they are attempting to regulate their employees regarding social media,and if so, to what degree.