25% of people regret what they say on Social Networking sites

by Swati on January 31st, 2012

Twitter has launched a new feature to censor specific content on the microblogging site. The Indian government has asked Internet giants Google, Facebook and several others to delete inflammatory content on their online platforms. The news of online content censorship, which has been hogging the digital limelight in the recent times, makes us wonder, how responsible people are while posting their opinions and ideas on social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook.

A recent survey has found that one in four people regret the things they have posted on social media sites, because it was inappropriate or likely to upset someone. The same number of people said they posted something on one of these sites that they never would have said to someone face-to-face. Around one third of the respondents said they had either witnessed or been a victim of online bullying and harassment.

“Our research has shown that people are more prone to saying something on social media that they later regret, because in these digital environments we don’t receive the immediate checks and balances that we get during face-to-face interactions. This can therefore result in a careless or inappropriate tweet, or at worst, cyber bullying,” states Robin Dunbar, Professor of Evolutionary Anthropology, who analyzed the findings.

However, not everything is negative about social media sites. These platforms help people share info about the things they love and connect with other like-minded people. The study revealed that 40 percent of people use Twitter and Facebook to discuss topics they care passionately about, and almost half of them feel that what they posted made a difference.

“The rapid increase in the availability and use of social media has brought with it many positives and, as our research has revealed, one of these is the ability to speak up for things we are passionate about. However, it is important to remember that it is through experience in face-to-face interactions that we learn many of the social skills needed to navigate our way through our complex social world,” Prof. Dunbar adds.

So, what do you think about this study? How thoughtful are you, while interacting with others on social media platforms. Do share your ideas in the comments.

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