In this digital age, we should be thanking social networking providers?
Updated: Feb 11, 2022
Staff and organisation culture has often been identified to be an inhibiting factor of efforts to develop public sector information governance capability and standards.
Some suggest cultural issues stem from the fact that the majority of the workforce has had to adapt and learn to use computers and information systems, largely on evolved basis of trial and error?
Training historically has focused on addressing the “hands on” use of the technology only, it is only recently that a greater focus has given to developing a greater social understanding of the implications i.e. governance and privacy concerns.
Social Networking
Looking ahead the new social networking generation of school leavers coming into the workplace, is likely to have a profound and positive effect on culture, in regard to staff being more acutely aware of the social implications of technology, and thus the value of supporting development of information governance capability.
Equally this same generation of new service users, will likely challenge organisations like no other before it, to demonstrate that their data and privacy is being managed properly. Should we expect an increase in Data Protection Act “subject access requests”, as this generation matures into concerning adults!
Education and Maturity
For this we have to thank those that have supported making investment to secure mainstream use of technology in our education system, leading to the subsequent production of this computer literate element of society.
But I think we should reserve our greatest thanks for the social networking sites that have arguably made the greatest contribution towards the development of concerns and awareness of privacy issues, taking this generation beyond computer literate, to perhaps becoming tech savvy.
However, should we not also be concerned that development of societies awareness and appreciation of information governance and privacy still appears to be on a trial and error basis?