Stop! Step away from your keyboard. Are you ready to Tweet that Tweet?

We all know a Facebooker or Tweeter that should probably have sat on their hands rather than posted that last message. If you can’t think of any then it may be you!

We’ve all been there, in the throes of anger we’ve said something we didn’t mean. The same thing happens on social media, perhaps even more fatally when we’re able to hide behind a computer screen.

It has been debated whether social media makes us more or less lonely, often it’s used to replace actual human interaction. People post a vague (or not so) update about how they’re feeling rather than picking up the phone and calling.

Tiredness and social networking don’t mix. We’re far more vulnerable and sensitive when tired. So shut down that laptop and hit the sheets. Things are often clearer after a good night’s kip.

We are all aware that non verbal communication makes up a huge amount of our daily interactions. In social media it is easy to misconstrue messages. Tone of voice and word stresses are gone (caps lock doesn’t count.) Most outlets allow us to send and receive messages in rapid fire, in an online argument this can be dangerous. Use this as a rule of thumb, if you wouldn’t say it to someone’s face, then don’t say it over the internet.

Our online and offline presence are two very different things. Nobodies life is that exciting, no matter what their Twitter feed or Facebook timeline looks like. If you were editing a movie of your life, would you include you eating your Cornflakes this morning or would you skip that and instead include your holiday to Vegas last year? So don’t feel downhearted when you see your online friends having the time of their life every day, they’re not. It’s a mirage.

Read the full blog here.

Photo (cc) Daniel Iverson