Social media managers on hot seat

Like many people in society today, we know we spend too much time online — but as social media managers it is our job to be there. Social media managers, a position that was unheard of a decade ago, experience tremendous stress.

Social media can be a toxic place, especially for those of us who work in that space. Angry users on social seem to forget that a human being is behind the brand’s account they are screaming at or the story they are criticizing.

Social media managers see the best of the internet and the worst. It is hard not to feel it personally.

Erica Williams Simon, head of the Creator’s Lab at Snapchat, told me she gets “hate mail and hate tweets just because I am a black woman. People will attack you.” Walks, prayer or meditation and art help her cope, she said. She also mentioned that Snapchat offers great benefits for its employees, including generous time off and free mental health services.

Simon does not engage on hot topics, is careful about what she retweets and does not allow herself to get drawn into toxic debates. “The internet isn’t my life. I’m responsible with how I use my voice online. It’s just like real life. You don’t join every discussion or say everything that you think in real life.”

She also suggested that colleagues feed themselves good content after a particularly grueling day online, adding: “Remember that you’re seeing the worst of people, and look for the good ones.”