With social media as one of the main ways people communicate today, it’s no wonder some users feel entitled to voice their opinions about certain situations.
While Americans do have freedom of speech, it’s important to remember that what is said on social media can sometimes lead to serious consequences. Whether a user complains about a co-worker, talks negatively about a boss or is just plain inappropriate, comments can not only ruin reputations but cost people their jobs. Let’s not forget that employers know how to use Twitter and Facebook also. They may be watching to see if the person they hired represents them well.
On Feb. 7, a Twitter user by the name of @Cella lost her job over a negative tweet posted about a new job she was starting the next day. “Ew I start this f*** a** job tomorrow,” she tweeted.
Little did she know that the next day her employer Robert Waple discovered the tweet and replied to it saying, “And … no you don’t start that job today! I just fired you! Good luck with your no money, no job life!”
Why was @Cella fired before her first day at her new job? Clearly, no employer wants to hire somebody who thinks negatively of their place of employment or presents their negative feelings on a social webpage where millions of people can view it. If @Cella would’ve thought twice before posting her tweet, she’d probably still have her job today.
Another situation occurred in November when Vinita Hegwood, a teacher from Duncanville, sent out an inappropriate tweet about the Ferguson incident where an unarmed black teen was shot and killed by a white police officer.
Hegwood had some thoughts regarding the issue, and her tweet went viral. The tweet was filled with racism, profanity and even went as far as telling the users to “kill themselves.” As a result of her comments, Duncanville ISD fired her.
Clearly, some opinions should be kept silent.
While it’s great that social media allows voices to be heard by hundreds and thousands of friends and followers, what happens when one of them is an employer or a co-worker? How does that one comment affect how others perceive the user? It’s heart-wrenching how one little post can cause someone’s life to take a major turn.
So the next time something maddening happens at work or the next time a heated situation comes up, people should think twice before putting comments online for everyone to see. Some things are better off kept to oneself.
