Sometimes it has been suggested that using social media such as Facebook and Twitter can affect mental health and well-being. Is that what happens when a poster take it too far?
Imagine you have a business that you have invested your whole life savings in. One day a customer comes into your store or restaurant and unbeknownst to you they leave unhappy. Instead of taking their issues back to you and hashing it out, they go behind their computer and leave negative comments on an online site such as Facebook.
Did you know that just one single negative tweet, post, can hurt a business to such an extent it can cause a fatal amount of damage? Mind blowing isn’t it? Of course the nature of the beast is that people will complain anyway, but by creating a chain reaction, Facebook is now basically giving complainers a megaphone.
Should you not complain– am I out to lunch on my personal view?
Of course you should complain, as customers always deserve good product and service– but my suggestion again is to take it to the owner of the business first. You have to remember that inside the world wide web, nothing will ever die. Once a thread or conversation starts, those comments are going to be there forever. Suddenly, the whole world knows about your bad experience, has an opinion about it, and a business could be all but wiped out.
We are all human and we all make mistakes, but there seems to be more armchair commentary on Twitter and Facebook than anywhere else. People are now held to a higher standard, and social media is a great place to vent with no repercussions. In small rural towns like Carleton Place, personal and private lives are mingled, and online rants quickly become the source of topic in town. While some may create fake accounts to get involved in an online discussion, a company absolutely cannot, and are defenseless.
Hiding behind a computer screen allows anyone to become as ugly as they’d like, and that negative attention and attitude can easily spill over. We are fortunate to be able to say what we want, but sometimes the things that go through our minds shouldn’t go out our mouths – or our fingers.
Please think before you post– after all— “we’re here for a good time–not a long time.”
lindaseccaspina 