How many times do
we hear that one celebrity or another has made a gaff on Twitter? Worse,
people have now been jailed for their comments on the service. The
temptation to blast off an opinion on social media is certainly akin to
the pub debate but with the popularity of the medium so widespread it is
a danger zone for the unwitting commentator.
Social media has provided easy access to our opinions and comments and they are easy platforms for comment. Just because it is easy to do, does not mean that anything goes and as in any medium, slander, blasphemy and down right rudeness are still frowned upon and some are illegal - or are they? There is a feeling amongst some that the use of social media in this way is symptomatic of a general 'dumbing down' in society. Ultimately the protagonists will be measured by their own actions and as those of us with somewhat longer experience in life know things can often come back to haunt.
The benefits of instant communication are being felt daily as the world
tries to emerge from recession and avoid depression. The opportunity to
inform and link to other online media, to create awareness of brands,
explain about products, make offers, deals and extend customer service
is excellent and with so few characters available it is the clever use
of the medium that is allowing smaller businesses to punch above their
weight in an ever increasing online 'noise'.
Too much promotion, too many dull
comments will only serve to reduce this value and the over exposure may
make some of us turn back to traditional media for better results.
Time will tell... until the next big thing arrives... must tweet this message...
