Think Before You Post: The Boundaries of Social Media

People have a habit of behaving differently online than they do in person - the large audience is invisible, so many feel protected by their screens. This can be a positive thing, like someone feeling more confident to open up and be themselves. But sometimes people will misuse social networks to shame and bully others.

Posting online is instant, public and more often than not, permanent. Once you post, you lose all control of what happens to it - it only takes one friend to share it on their own profiles for it to be completely out of your hands.

Too often people are finding their posts coming back to haunt them. Universities, future employers and schools can easily find a trail of your online identity. If they don't like what they see, it can mean a serious loss of opportunity. You may even find yourself in trouble with the police.

The cyber world is the real world with real consequences, so make sure you always ask yourself the following before you hit send, because it ruined people lives.

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