Being angry and letting it out is normal; falling in a deep public hole of embarrassment and resentment afterward isn’t. It is understandable to let anger get the better of you at times, but never allow it to punish you.
We are in the age of social now and almost everything has evolved around it. This includes gossiping, bitching and bullying. With our phones or tablets just a pocket way, it is so easy and tempting to share our anger and grievances online.
Unfortunately, at times a post may offend other parties, subjecting you to virtual torment and shaming. No one cares how a sales staff may have mistreated you in a shop hours ago. No one cares if you think the staff was wrong and rude. No one cares if the post was supposed to be for the eyes of your friends only.
You wrote an insensitive, offensive or racist remark, and that is all that matters. Just ask Amy Cheong and Shimun Lai about it. Nevertheless, here are 3 tips you can use the next time you get the urge to share your anger online:
1. Count to 10
Not orally of course, but in your mind. This breaks you away from ‘the zone’. When you pause and count to ten, you will look away from the device and into what is around you. This could clear your mind from anger, paving way for your mind to think rationally.
So count to ten, take a deep breath, have a final look and edit your status before pushing that ‘post’ button. Personally, I find this tip really helpful. In a way, it forces you to think before posting. Remember, there is a way to be angry and not get punished by it afterward.
2. Chat/talk to someone first
Make it a habit to share your experiences (good or bad) with a selected group of people or individual before sharing it online. You may create your own social media policy in which every time there is something negative you wish to write about online, you communicate it with a loved one first for instance.
You would realise that the anger have dissipated away every time you utilise this technique. That said, this method depends largely on the person you share with too. If it is someone who simply adds fuel to the fire, then this may not be a good idea. In fact, the ‘group effect’ may even endow a sense of bravery when posting your anger online.
Be sure to choose someone who is generally calm and composed for this method to work.
3. Set default privacy setting to only you and trusted friends
This is extreme and may not be applicable to most of us. The reason why you are on Facebook is because you choose to do so; you want to be a social media user.
Nonetheless, if you know you have a bad, short temper, then this last tip may just be the one for you. You can change the default privacy setting of your post by clicking on settings on the top right-hand of your Facebook page. Under the ‘Who can see my stuff?’ section, click edit and customise your privacy filter accordingly.
Twitter users may protect their tweets, allowing only a selected few to view their tweets. Proceed to your ‘Security and privacy’ settings, scroll down to the Tweet privacy section and check the box next to ‘Protect my Tweets’.
It is not wrong to vent your frustrations online. So now go ahead and continuing tweeting and Facebook-ing confidently!
Also read: Am I the only one allowing Facebook to feed my insecurity?
Featured image credit: commsbusiness
