Q

What counts as self-sabotage in the age of social media?

On the heels of Deborah Drever's suspension, Shad explores the intersection between employment and overshare with three experts.
Deborah Drever was ejected from the newly elected Alberta NDP caucus days after the May 5 election when social media posts came to light. (Jason Franson/Canadian Press)

Rookie NDP MLA Deborah Drever was suspended from Alberta's NDP caucus last week over a controversial image she posted on social media. The instagram post, which featured former premier Jim Prentice and interim Alberta PC leader Ric McIver, was deemed homophobic and contrary to the views of her party. 

It isn't the only eyebrow-raising image associated with Drever — but neither is she the only person with a messy social media history. 

At the intersection of employment and over-share, Shad checks in with three panelists to shed light on the issue: 

  • Elizabeth Bromstein, Business Editor at Workopolis
  • Ian Capstick, Managing Partner at MediaStyle 
  • David Brake, author and professor of journalism at Toronto's Humber College


The three weigh in on Drever's story, and whether the punishment suits the crime, as well as the larger tensions between our professional reputations and our increasingly visible personal activity.

q: Is the problem especially pronounced for the generation that grew up with social media? Or are some people protected at all costs while others are made an example of? If we all live in glass houses, who can throw stones?

A portion of one Deborah Drever Instagram post that attracted the ire of her colleagues. (Instagram)