Why people are so brave on Facebook... use the SPACE to THINK approach “Speak your mind” and “post your mind” are not the same thing. A study that investigated how messages containing different emotions spread across social networks found that “anger is more influential than other emotions like joy, which indicates that angry tweets can spread quickly and broadly in the network”. The consequences of such angry posts can be dire. People have been publicly disgraced; lost their jobs and even faced criminal charges. So why do such posts persist? The research suggests that the answer lies with three issues: the accessibility of technology, the spaces it provides for communication that isn’t face to face, and how this is skewing our ideas of connection. But all is not lost: there are some basic rules you can apply (most valuable is if you think it could hurt or offend - type it but wait an hour before you actually post it) that make sure you stay out of trouble and that you get the most out of social media. Being a little more thoughtful and circumspect about your social media presence will improve the experience for everyone. Think like a publisher – because in this brave new world, that’s exactly what we’ve all become. See some very good and practical advice at
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