In My Opinion….
The average half-life of a tweet is 24 minutes. Twenty-four quick minutes… That’s nothing, right? What’s the odds that any badly worded or even emotionally charged tweet will be seen by the intended party? Well, let me tell you, the odds are actually very good!
Think Before You Click:
What does that tweet say about you? Will it hurt someone? Can it be interpreted in a way that will negatively impact anyone or a group of people?
While the half-life of a tweet is just minutes, a “bad” tweet only needs to be seen by the right person at the right time. That can happen in a matter of seconds. Then, take into account that people can easily capture a picture of a tweet and show it to an intended party. Also, inflammatory tweets tend to trigger comments and retweets. So, take that tweet half-life and forget about it. A tweet can take on a whole new life of its own.
If you answered yes to any of the above questions or the next one, then perhaps you should think before you click: Does this tweet come at a cost to me or someone else?
Possible Alternative Options:
In-Person Conversations: Sometimes there’s nothing better than to have a needed conversation face-to-face. Especially if the topic is personal or of a private nature, twitter probably should not be your forum of choice. Instead, take a few moments to set up an in-person conversation that person. It often is the best way to clear the air and any misperceptions.
Phone Calls: It’s not always possible to have an in-person conversation or perhaps the person you want to chat with is not interested in a face-to-face chat. In these cases, sometimes a call can achieve much the same as an in-person visit but with an added convenience to both parties. You can still hear the tone of the person’s voice, discuss the topic to the level needed and whether the issue gets resolved, it’s at least been kept respectful and between the interested parties.
Email: While emails aren’t as personal as a chat, let’s face it, some of us are writers over talkers. Sometimes to get it all out we need to write. And that’s okay. Emails still maintain the privacy of the parties, though you do lose the ability to hear the other person’s tone. Depending on the topic though, maybe that’s just fine and the trade-off of getting it all out is better. An email can also give a person time to think about what you’ve said before responding.
Let It Go: Perhaps it’s just an emotionally charged moment; one in which you will feel completely different about in a half hour or so. Maybe nothing needs to be said or done. Maybe the passage of time will take care of the issue. Simple as that!
Tweet! Tweet!
Don’t get me wrong, tweeting is fun! It’s a great forum for businesses, personal shares, and so much more. My main point of this article is that tweeting is public so what you share on twitter perhaps should be topics that are public-friendly.
Personal relationships are just that – personal. So, before you tweet something about someone else, definitely think twice about making public. Perhaps consider asking the other party if they agree with the tweet.
A tweet may have a short half-life but a relationship or impressions left behind from a costly (intended or not) tweet can last a lifetime. Think before you click! Enjoy twitter but cherish your relationships more!
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