Recently, an inmate was able to escape from Lancaster County sheriff’s deputies. Important, but not exactly something that doesn’t happen from time to time, right? One big difference here though… After his escape, the inmate stopped and posted a status update to Facebook. What? Yes, a status update to Facebook. Why in the world would a known criminal stop and let the world know what he is currently doing? It all comes down to our social media compulsions. We have become a society that hinges on knowing and sharing our latest exploits, successes, failures, etc.
While it is a surprise to some that hitting the social networks during or following committing a crime to some, to those of us working in the social field it is certainly not. The fact is that as a society networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and others have become so important that posting to them has almost become second nature. The desire and push for instant recognition and accolades is so great that many simply cannot resist the compulsion.
Speaking from a psychological stand point, it is no surprise either. Many individuals who commit crimes could easily be diagnosed with a mental disorder such as antisocial personality disorder, bipolar disorder, or other such issue. There are more than a few mental illnesses that do lead to a degree of both narcissism and desire to over share. That being said, the need for added attention even after committing a crime is nearly impossible to ignore thus leading to issues such as the one facing the individual from Lancaster County.
This raises a serious question, is there any way that the want to publish to social networks no matter what the course of action has been can be overcome? To follow up on that, SHOULD it be overcome? Should we be worried that law enforcement personnel are able to track down suspects via social media, or should we be relieved that they can do so with relative ease? These are all questions that we must ask ourselves as a society. At some point, the big brother mentality must be addressed. If criminals continue using social media (which in my opinion will certainly happen), then maybe it is a great thing that law enforcement takes an active interest.
What can we do to help the issue? It really depends. If you side with the suspect, then simply ignore the fact that they have posted something completely stupid and damaging. If you side with law enforcement, then be willing to reach out and report individuals who do brag about or self-report via their social accounts. In the end, whether or not you agree with law enforcement’s monitoring of social media there will be suspects posting away, sharing their exploits with a group that they may discount as being a non-threat. If said individual then commits further crimes, it is not unthinkable for you to be considered an accessory. Something to really think about!
Now it’s your turn. What do you think about criminals who brag on social media and the law enforcement officers who use socials to make the collar?