Watch what you write online!

The reason for my existence has been called into question. By my own self. My purpose was different. I came into this world as an extension. Of my own famous self. I wanted to write about things that I wanted to, but couldn’t without courting a controversy or two. But of late, I realized how much I have deviated from my own purpose. So much so that not only had I become dormant, but I had allowed my twitter self to wag his tongue. And me being me, a controversy was about to happen. And it did. I almost lost a friend because of some tweets. It was an honest, inadvertent mistake on my part. But nevertheless, I had given way to suspicion. Now revisiting that particular episode, I am amused as to how remarkably certain things connect and how valid is the suspicion. The problem with our digital age is that you’re connected to so many people at a time that it becomes sorta impossible to keep track of things. You fight with friend 1 and argue with friend 2. Then you sit back in your free time and let your thoughts wander. Suddenly you get a brainwave. You have the idea to the next chapter of your story ready. You are excited. You dunno what to do. You want to retain it before it escapes your mind. You immediately find your phone and tweet about it. But the thing is that you can’t make it obvious. So you keep it cryptic. Little do you realize that your cryptic tweet might have some relevance to fight with friend 1 or your argument with friend 2. Both of them read your tweets and get upset. They confront you. You had no idea that your tweets could be connected to them or what happened with either of them. You are confused. Then you figure out what has happened. You explain it to them and try to patch things up with them. Sometimes, they understand you. Sometimes, they don’t believe you. You end up losing a friend over a silly tweet that you had no idea, could lead to such implications. This is more or less what happened to me. Except in my case, there was no fight and there was only one friend. Thankfully, that friend was kind enough to understand. Still, my carelessness cost me a valuable follower on twitter.

The point I am trying to make with the whole story is exactly what the title is. In this age of internet and digital explosion, it is very important to be careful with what you write online. More often than not, what you intended to convey and what was inferred might be different. That’s a dangerous situation to be. It shudders me to think what all could be the implications of a single silly tweet. Read this news article to understand the power of a tweet and what it can do to you, irrespective of who you are. Since that incident, I triple check every single sentence I write online. This is important unless you are ready to court any controversy or face any wrath, whatsoever it may be. Actually, that’s a good position to be. That’s how a free-thinking writer should be. That’s what I aspire to be. But I am not that. Atleast yet. So until that happens, I need to remind myself of this title. So do you, unless you’re already that ready-to-face-the-wrath kind. 

Hasta la Vista!