Tag Archives: TMI

“Overshare” The Modern Version of TMI!!

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I heard this word for the first time from a student in one of my classes.  He was giving way too much information about his personal life – making other students uncomfortable.  I see it now in various settings.  For example, LinkedIn is for business and professional information.  Most social media folks feel personal stories and photos don’t belong there.

I use my Twitter account as a professional tool.  It has a professional handle and over the last year I’ve gotten better about following people who tweet about professional, related topics.  I wrote a blog about the weird, sexy head shots some professional women use there.  To me, cleavage is a little too personal if your content is of a professional nature.  The rule of thumb for me on that is – What do you want people thinking about when you’re talking to them? The words and points you are making or the shape of your body.  At work I’m looking for the words and points!

Facebook is a place where people definitely overshare. I like to read about basic news of family, graduations, etc. Not all that interested in drinking/drunk pictures. I’m also a little uncomfortable when people at either end of the spectrum go too far down the political path.  I have a wide mix with a smattering of far left and far right.  One far right person unfriended me because of stuff my other friends were posting.  Oh well.

Employees clearly overshare in the workplace about their illnesses, surgeries and personal troubles.  I have been called upon to help companies make a healthy shift in the milieu.  It is complicated and requires a multi-pronged approach but involves orienting employees to HIPAA guidelines and such.

Finally, the dreaded friend overshare.  The worst for me is graphic detail about an illness.  Seriously. Do not need to know what flu symptoms kept you up at night.

If you have employee overshare stories I would love to hear them. @HRSociology.

(c) BCSPublishing 2012 all rights reserved

Word of the Day: “Overshare” in class and at work

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What is it called when a person discloses something too intimate for the setting or social company? Teaching clinical psychology to college students is to truly experience the term: overshare.  ”Overshare” describes the phenomenon that prompts the listener to think “TMI.”  I’ve started covering social norms about the proper level of personal disclosure for the classroom, in the first class of the semester.

Overshares in class

Here’s a true example: Andrew with raised hand at the beginning of class.

Me: “Yes Andrew.”

With Tom sitting next to him in class - Andrew: “Suzi, I wanted to let you know about Tom and me. We had a fight but we have decided that rather than being friends-with-benefits, we made up and we are going to be in a committed relationship.”

Tom is now looking a little green and the rest of the class is either uncomfortable or rolling their eyes.

Me: “Andrew, do you remember we talked about students’ relationship intimacy matters as being inappropriate for class disclosure?”

Andrew: “Yes . . . overshare?”

Me: “I think so. Let’s move on.”  Inside my head I am thinking, for the love of God!

Overshares at work

I find that some employees so needy for attention that they provide to coworkers excruciating detail about their physical illnesses, mental illness or intimate relationship issues. While some coworkers enjoy this kind of information  most would rather not have these pictures in their heads.

Workplace oversharing creates a dilemma for HR professionals.  Employers are prevented from disclosing any information about an employee’s illness or medical condition no matter what the employee has disclosed. HR professionals shouldn’t  discuss or comment. The idea is that with information about protected-class status  as general knowledge at work, it is difficult for an employer to prove that it’s actions did not consider this status. Once the information is readily available in the workplace milieu, it is really impossible to rein it back in.

Lack of general privacy

Facebook and other instant social media channels have encouraged oversharing and a disregard for privacy, generally.  I would like to see the pendulum swing back so that people in non-intimate settings might keep this kind of information a little more private.