You know how it is these days, right? The internet and the social media are giving you ways to instantly communicate with other people. Twitter, Facebook, and even Tumblr are giving you platforms in speaking your mind and telling the world how you feel or what you think. In other words, if you have something to say, the world can instantly know about it.

While this may be a great achievement in terms of communication and technology, posting or publishing what you have on your mind without filtering or thinking first can produce negative consequences. That’s why it’s best to read and re-read, think and rethink, especially when your fingers are faster than your brain.

What does it mean when the fingers are faster than the brain?

It’s pretty much like when your mouth is faster than your brain, or when you talk faster than you think. It’s when you blurt out words without even thinking of whether or not they could be offensive. In other words, it’s being tactless.

The same can be said about using the internet and the social media. You can type, post, tweet, or publish whatever you want to say on your smart device or business phone (more info). It’s a free country anyway. Then again, there must be limits, and you should be smart enough to know this. If what you publish can or will offend others, then might as well not post it. For one, you could be accused of cyber bullying or worse, libel.

It’s not what you say but how you say it.

But how do you actually send your message across without offending anyone? The trick is in the way you say things. As they say, it’s not what you say but HOW you say it. You can be constructive and not offensive. Just choose your words carefully.

For every action, there’s an equal reaction.

Then again, if you really want to speak your mind and let them have it, go right ahead. Do it. Just make sure you’re prepared for the consequences of what you’re about to do. Many people have to learn this the hard way. They just post whatever they want without thinking about it first. In the end, they regret what they had to say or do. They can always apologize and say sorry, but the damage has already been done. And there’s no taking them back.

Don’t be a troll.

You know how trolls are, right? They’re annoying and quite honestly, really immature. Once they post things they know are offensive, you know they’re desperate for attention. They seem to enjoy it even more when people react to what they posted. For them, it doesn’t matter what kind of reaction you make just as long as you took your time to notice them. And would not want to sink this low for attention, right?

So the next time you start posting or tweeting, think of the consequences first. In fact, think before you speak. Make it a habit. This will keep you from getting into trouble.