It has happened: you’ve said something dumb on Twitter. It didn’t feel that dumb at the time, it probably felt like a flippant, innocuous and inconsequential response to something that was bugging you. But, boy, how you are regretting it!
Dealing with Twitter backlash is not only for celebrities and politicians. It can happen to anyone and it can be an upsetting and unpleasant experience.
How can you avoid these situations and how should you handle it when things go wrong? Twitter is a jungle where playground politics, sadly, come into play all too often. Follow these seven steps and you’ll be able to hold your head high and navigate your own personal Twitter storm in a teacup with poise:
Think before you tweet: Prevention is better than a cure! This sounds obvious, but if you hesitate for even a second over whether to send a tweet it is a strong indicator that you probably shouldn’t be doing it. People WILL read your tweets, even if they are part of conversation with a friend. Unless you are Direct Messaging or have protected tweets, your conversation is in the public domain. Forget that at your peril. People are watching you and the harsh reality of the internet is that some people are ready to pounce the second you screw up. There is nothing worse than feeling like your reputation and image have been tainted by careless talk.
Fight: If your tweet has prompted outrage, you have two simple options: fight your corner or retreat. Knowing when to do either is a matter of personal choice. The key is how important the issue is to you and how fair/unfair you feel the response has been. If you choose to fight, do it calmly, avoid personal attacks and choose your words carefully. Remember that some people thrive on conflict and will refuse to ever come round to your way of seeing things; you may end up entering an argument that you will never win. If you choose this route, make sure you’ve got a thick skin and bags of conviction.
Flee: Sometimes, it isn’t worth the fight. There is no shame in walking away and there is no shame in clicking the “Block” button. Online bullying isn’t the reserve of school kids. If you find a tweet genuinely hurtful and it provokes an emotional response, it is time to step away. Avoiding traumatic situations can often be sensible not cowardly.
Shut Up and Move On: This is probably the hardest step. It has happened and you’ve got to deal with it. It is easy to get caught up in the internet bubble and lose perspective on a situation. Don’t dwell, don’t go tweeting and begging for sympathy and don’t go searching through timelines of people involved to see what they are saying about you. If you’ve made a major gaffe, you may want to do some damage limitation with others who may be effected; let them know the situation, give them your side of the story and, if necessary, apologise. Otherwise, forget about it.
Admit when you’ve screwed up: This doesn’t have to mean a gushing public apology. It can be as simple/difficult as admitting it to yourself. If you’ve said something stupid, you’ll know it deep down. Don’t be too harsh - things can get easily misinterpreted and bent out of shape. Don’t make excuses for yourself either. If you do choose to apologise publicly, be prepared for people to throw it right back in your face.
Learn from it: Social media is a relatively new thing and we are all making the rules up as we go along. You need to make a mistake in order to avoid it in the future. Online spats, tiffs and feuds can be genuinely hurtful for all involved, feeling crap is a pretty high price to pay for 140 careless characters.
Remember the positives: Twitter can sometimes feel like a cruel and unpleasant place. Funny how all it can take is one supportive message or tweet from a friend to make it all seem better. You can make new friends, embrace new opportunities and embark on new adventures. There are people who will stand by you and stick up for you, come what may.
Jen Evans is a journalist specialising in culture. She once said something slightly dumb on Twitter and won’t be doing it again. You can find more of her writing on her blog, Bookish Brunette.
Image via Juliana Coutinho's Flickr