'Social Santa' and a Healthy Bit of Self-Censorship
Posted: Wednesday 12 December, 2012
Cassie Oshea
Without giving too much away, I must admit that I don't know
the person I picked for Secret Santa very well. You can't really blame me –
Punch has been doing so well this year that we've hired a lot of new people (at
least ten, including me). In between the usual work crunch, it can be hard to
take time to get to know the newbies.
However, I have a plan: Facebook. What better way to
sneakily find out more about this person than some good old Facebook stalking?
By reviewing their likes, comments, and the interactions on their timeline, I
am sure I can find some inspiration. At the very least, I won't buy them that
Justin Bieber poster their aunt already gave them.
Speaking of social media, this time of year becomes a
particularly interesting one across the networks as people imbibe a bit too
much and get a bit too friendly with their smartphones while under the
influence. Already, I have seen a few posts from friends that they probably
cringed at the next morning.
At Punch, the office is abuzz with anticipation for the
office Christmas party on Friday. According to all parties involved, last
year's party was legen…wait for it…dary. Phil is stirring the pot with fiery
rhetoric, George is dreaming of fantastic bow tie options, Jess is denying that
she will finally reveal her crush on Will (she doesn't really have one,
really), Alex is looking forward to his steak pie and raspberry cheesecake (we
know all about it), and we'll all be toasting Kirsty as she jets off to
Thailand.
Will (who is not the object of Jessica's affections) and George (before his bow tie obsession) @ Punch Xmas 2010
I'm not quite sure what to expect. The last time I attended
an office Christmas party was in 2007 in New York, before social media was so
deeply embedded in our lives. All the embarrassing moments had to circulate the
old-fashioned way through email and gossiping over the phone. It took time to
get the word out that so-and-so had snogged the Christmas tree, or that another
person decided to make snow angels in the middle of a busy midtown street (this
may or may not have happened and might be slightly exaggerated or changed to
protect the identity of people that may or may not have been involved).
Nowadays, these activities can be broadcasted inadvertently around the world
with a tipsy touch of a button.
So, while it probably is a professional rite of passage to
get drunk at a holiday party and embarrass yourself at least once, I would
advise everyone out there to keep the crazy in the pub and off the pages of
social networks. That said, bottoms up!
