You are what you tweet

Many of you know that I am all about social media. I blog (clearly), I facebook, My instagram, pinterest and linked in are always maintained. I care about online interaction. You get it.

I am not able to feel good about this month (National Bullying Prevention Month) coming to a close without dedicating a blog post to the issue and connection between social media and social responsibility. In the last month I have used my online platforms to build new relationships, to share about my family, my business and my own personal thoughts about life in general. I also (unfortunately) have had interactions that could be labeled as negative and offensive. I have been called names, I have been disrespected and I have been messaged with undesirable content. I share this because I talk to parents and young people on a regular basis about cyber responsibility. What we put out there leaves a lasting impact. What we say to others does not dissolve or disappear. Even if it does not stay on screen it stays in the mind of others. Our words are valuable and everlasting. My goal and mission is not to preach but to prepare our community to think before we tweet. Bullying is typically associated with consistent offenses but it starts with one offense. This means that even one negative and hateful message adds to the atmosphere of relational aggression. In no way am I asking to censor, edit or control the emotions and thoughts that we put into the digital climate but I am asking for careful thought and understanding before pushing send. A few questions to consider: Would I say this in person to someone? If this message was a screen shot would I be okay with it being shared? Even though October is almost gone-our motives and desire to eradicate the harm of cyber-bullying has to be a year-round effort. -Read something great