Twitter, as we very well know, is one of the fastest growing avenues of social media today. And although it only allows up to 140 characters, it’s still large enough for trouble—regardless of the intentions.

In a story posted yesterday, British native Paul Chambers was arrested for a tweet he posted on January 7th in regards to Northern England’s Robin Hood Airport:

You’ve got a week and a bit to get your s*** together, otherwise I’m blowing the airport sky high!!

Turns out, Chambers’ “threat” was his way of airing the frustrations he held about the airport being closed due to snow. Even if Chambers used the SarcMark, its highly doubtful the situation would have been prevented. For, according to him, the police simply did not understand it was his attempt at sarcasm:

“I would never have thought, in a thousand years, that any of this would have happened because of a Twitter post.”

This story poses a valuable lesson: social media outlets, though seemingly casual,  may be perceived as mediums of precise communication. Whatever is posted can be viewed by virtually anyone. Therefore, it’s dangerous to assume that every reader understands the thoughts and intentions of what is written, regardless of whether the message is clearly absurd or not.

Social media can be a great source of productivity and improvement in both our personal and professional lives. It’s simply a matter of how to use it properly. To read more on this subject, take a look at one of Slaughter Development’s recent articles—or follow us on Twitter. Productivity and social media can go hand in hand. Learn more, contact us today!

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