Indians fear they could lose their job for posting controversial content on social media websites, McAfee study reveals. Indians also fear they could risk their professional reputation due to their social media.

Key findings

The survey was conducted on 1,000 Indians. At least 21.2 per of Indians knew someone whose career prospects had been negatively affected by their social media posts. 25.7 per cent of Indians confessed to posting negative content about their current workplace. 55.4 per cent of Indians had at least one inactive social media account, while 41 per cent of Indians did not consider deleting their inactive social media account. 21.4 per cent of Indians fear their social media content would negatively affect their career prospects. But it doesn't mean Indians lack a responsible social media usage.

The study also found that 63.1 per cent of Indians had set up at least one social media profile for professional use. 46.9 per cent Indians also preferred keeping their personal and professional life separate.

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“Now, more than ever before, we need to be mindful of how we represent ourselves online," said Venkat Krishnapur, Vice-President of Engineering and Managing Director at McAfee India. "It is important to indulge in sharing content that paints you in a professional and positive light and avoid posting any content that can tarnish your professional image.

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There have been numerous examples of celebrities whose past social media posts continue to haunt them. 30.6 per cent of Indians confessed they deleted their controversies social media posts only after it landed them in trouble.

"We have all seen high profile celebrities and public figures whose objectionable social media posts have emerged light years later, damaging their reputation, but this issue can affect anyone," Krishnapur added.

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Youngsters vs oldies

Younger generations were more worried that their social media posts could affect their professional reputation than older generations. While 31.4 per cent of Indians between the age 16 to 24 agreed that their social media content could impact their career prospects, only 24.6 per cent of Indians between the age 35 to 44 felt the same way. 41.1 per cent of Indians between the age 16 to 24 were more careful about the content they post and are tagged in on social media than 35.6 per cent of Indian between the age 45-55.