How can a tweet destroy your life.

Not_A_Hat_Person, RN · Feb 17, 2015

So the picture went viral because her co-worker's Facebook account was public?

allnurses Guide · Feb 17, 2015

I feel real pity for these people. The things they did were stupid, plain and simple and unfortunately were done in a way that made widespread knowledge of it all too easy. There isn't one person on earth who has not stepped in it, as a grown adult, due to their own lack of insight, sensitivity or self evaluation. Every single person. I don't agree with any of these transgressions and I have no idea whether the punishment fit the crime. I just feel pity for them. Few people would volunteer to have their humanity publicized for all to see, but most people do learn from such a thing happening and go through a great deal of personal torment and shame. I have said it before and I will say it again - things on the Internet are written in ink people. They never go away. Choose your words and images appropriately.

Whispera, MSN, RN · Feb 17, 2015

About a decade ago, I was moderator for an online support group. In it, one woman talked about her feelings about a family member. She shared extreme emotions and details.

While screen names were used by the participants, some had set up a Facebook group too. On facebook, real names are usually used. The sad woman was in both groups. Someone else was too. The someone else was able to identify who the family member was. She cut and pasted all the sad woman had written, and sent it to her.

This really destroyed part of a family. Since then I'm vigilant about people using care about their names as well as details they type. You never know who is here, whether it's someone you know or someone who enjoys causing trouble...

JustBeachyNurse, LPN · Feb 17, 2015

So the picture went viral because her co-worker's Facebook account was public?

Exactly. Apparently the account wasn't public but had inadvertently set it so all mobile photo uploads were public...someone found it out of context in FB and it went viral.

The first person in this thread was publicly tweeting statements about different nationalities/countries that were allegedly humorous but stereotypical and mean to many. As a PR professional she should have known better hence why the one writer blast retweeted the message.

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Feb 17, 2015

And people wonder why I don't do Facebook, nor 'tweet' anything. If I have something to say to someone not in front of me I can do so via email, phone call, or text message.

I understand that there is sympathy for those who did stupid things thoughtlessly, or without consideration that the photographs they had taken or words they had typed would be viewed by....well....anyone who wanted to view or read them. But the thing is, we're not talking about a couple of teenagers who haven't yet learned about poise and mature good judgement.

No, we're talking about grown adults, people who are purported to be professionals, who are EXPECTED to have good judgement. They are EXPECTED to understand that photographs can be misused, that words you type into a public media site can be viewed, in fact, by the public. They are expected to realize that private thoughts should STAY private thoughts.

Frankly, when I read just the first couple of 'tweets' in the article (about the German with BO, etc) I was already cringing: my mind immediately went to the notion that the person she was snidely gossiping about was probably reading her tweets right there, or recognized him, that sort of thing. I mean, really: a PR professional thinks it's actually worth anyone's attention that someone on the plane with her offends her nose?? Did she suddenly teleport herself to third grade??

Stupid is as stupid does. And I have no sympathy for the utterly thoughtless, by virtue of the fact that they COULD have prevented their own mishaps....and so very easily at that.

classicdame, MSN, EdD · Feb 17, 2015

if we were all punished for poor judgement then there would be no time for social media. This lady has paid her dues

MatrixRn · Feb 17, 2015

And both of these examples is just another good reason, at least for me, not to use Facebook, Twitter or Reddit. It is so easy to take something out of context in the written word, although with both of these ladies I think the firing was right on target.

That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B · Feb 17, 2015

If any of you watched the show NY Med/ER one of the nurses was fired for putting on instagram a picture of a trauma room after the pt had left. Think before you post

Ruby Vee, BSN · Feb 17, 2015

I read the entire (long) article, and the thing that struck me the most was when the author admitted to jumping on the shame bandwagon and received a tweet in response asking her if she'd been a bully in high school.

Sacco and Stone both made enormously stupid and insensitive tweets, but the man who outed Sacco's tweet and re-tweeted it was a bully. And so were most of the thousands who piled on. Neither offense was big enough to have your life ruined over. Now the woman who made the "dongle" tweet -- she was a bully as well, and perhaps what happened to her in response to her shaming of a colleague over a joke she wasn't meant to hear . . . perhaps that one was appropriate to the level of damage she caused.

We all make stupid, thoughtless comments at times. Let he who has never done so cast the first tweet.

caliotter3 · Feb 17, 2015

I guess I'm lucky that the stupid stuff that I can remember myself doing has always only hurt me or my own family and pretty much remained in the private realm. It's bad enough having to live down some of my own life experience without having something like this to deal with forever.

EaglesWings21, ASN, RN · Feb 17, 2015

I read the article, too, and agree that it is just as bad and childish to point the finger and condemn others for their stupid posts, BUT as an adult and professional you should know better. The Sacco lady's post was short and maybe she was just saying that in America we live in a bubble and think that because the majority is white we won't get AIDS. However, it is nothing to joke about. Same for the war memorial. Would you go to Auschwitz and post a picture joking about that? I don't think so. You don't do it. It is unfortunate, but they never should have posted that in the first place.

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · Feb 17, 2015

I understand that there is sympathy for those who did stupid things thoughtlessly, or without consideration that the photographs they had taken or words they had typed would be viewed by....well....anyone who wanted to view or read them. But the thing is, we're not talking about a couple of teenagers who haven't yet learned about poise and mature good judgement.
No, we're talking about grown adults, people who are purported to be professionals, who are EXPECTED to have good judgement. They are EXPECTED to understand that photographs can be misused, that words you type into a public media site can be viewed, in fact, by the public. They are expected to realize that private thoughts should STAY private thoughts.
Frankly, when I read just the first couple of 'tweets' in the article (about the German with BO, etc) I was already cringing: my mind immediately went to the notion that the person she was snidely gossiping about was probably reading her tweets right there, or recognized him, that sort of thing. I mean, really: a PR professional thinks it's actually worth anyone's attention that someone on the plane with her offends her nose?? Did she suddenly teleport herself to third grade??
Stupid is as stupid does. And I have no sympathy for the utterly thoughtless, by virtue of the fact that they COULD have prevented their own mishaps....and so very easily at that.

Too bad I can only like this once.

Being "stupid" SURELY has it's consequences.