While we’re not all about to become the next political candidate for our local area, Liberal candidate Anthony Antoniadis’ recent error of judgement, which labelled his prospective constituents work shy and smelly, does serve to remind us that what we say on social media is there for eternity. In fact, it’s waiting for its moment to bite you on the proverbial.

Politics or not, Anthony is a business owner in Salisbury and should understand the consequences of such immature behaviour in such a public forum.

With no doubt a bit of guidance from Steven Marshall’s media team who would have quickly swung into crisis management mode to minimise the damage caused to the Liberal Party as a whole, Anthony did come out with a statement apologising for his “stupid” and “offensive” comments.

Despite what seems like continuous stream of lessons in what not to do, with a never-ending array of case studies, there are still many who do not heed the warnings.

Here are some useful tips to consider before taking to social media:

• Be aware of what your social media privacy settings are set at and adjust them accordingly.
• Don’t slander or write mistruths about individuals as defamation applies to social media also.
• Don’t post or write anything your mother wouldn’t approve of!
• Consider the repercussions of what you’re tweeting – not just for you personally but those associated with you.
• And most importantly, think before you post or tweet.