To Tweet or Not to Tweet: Is that Really the Question?

To Tweet or not to Tweet? That is the question a lot of people have been asking lately. The microblogging site, Twitter has been in existence since March 2006; however, in its short tenure individuals have found themselves asking "should I really have shared that"? When posting to Twitter, Blogs, and other social media sites we must always ask ourselves a critical question prior to pressing the "publish" or "send" button. We must ask ourselves if we really should share this content, we should also be asking ourselves what will be the consequences of my behavior if I publish the post? 

 

When using social media, such as Twitter and others, we should always assume that once it's posted, it's always out there for everyone to see. During February 2011, Congressman Chris Lee resigned his prestigious position after posting inappropriate pictures of himself on Craigslist. Congressman, Anthony Weiner resigned his post after sending multiple inappropriate pictures of himself on Twitter. The use of social media is a fairly new phenomenon, and as users of this new technology we must exercise a great deal of restraint, critical thinking, and the ability to project potential outcomes of our behavior.

 

As a user of technology and social media, and as a social worker, I know we ALL make mistakes. But, we must learn from our mis-steps and those of others. We must be patient as we use new technology. We must be willing to use it responsibly and carefully, and when we make mistakes be willing to accept responsibility. As consumers of social media, I hope we all learn to treat others with respect, dignity, and worth. I hope that we will learn to forgive and not punish people forever for their online mistakes.

 

When we make a mistake in the realm of social media, our actions are available for the entire world to see over and over again. This can be incredibly painful. We must remember that we are human and while we may not post pictures as the congressmen did, there are other mistakes to be had. As you think about your next Tweet (Wiki, Blog, post, etc.), please pause and ask yourself , "should I Tweet or should I not Tweet"? That is really the question…