Twitter. Short and sweet. Its power lies in its simplicity. But power brings responsibility, and abandoning that responsibility can lead to an abuse of power.
Recently, a Labour MP and a Conservative Councillor have made the mistake of trying to condense a complex issue into 140 characters. Both of them are in the public eye and know that Twitter can be an immensely powerful platform for arguing, persuading and influencing.
Twitter is also immediate. A thought can make the journey from brain to feed in seconds. (Twitterfolk are speedy readers too; hitting ‘delete’ can come too late.) So when it is used by people in the public eye, the threat of the stream of consciousness taking over presents a constant communications challenge.
Lessons? Don’t let Twitter’s need for speed let your tongue run away from itself. Think before you Tweet!
Tom Yazdi
Consultant
tom@linstockcommunications.com
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