"Definitely knocked a cyclist off his bike earlier. I have right of way - he doesn't even pay road tax! #Bloodycyclists."Way knocked cyclist Toby Hockley off his bike when she was driving in Norfolk in May. She has been charged with a fine of £337 and been given 7 points on her driving license after 'Norwich magistrates convicted her of failing to stop after an accident and failing to report it'. (BBC)
This incident highlights the power of social media. If she had not tweeted about the situation then she would not have been found, questioned or charged by police and would probably have got away with this appalling behaviour.Consequently, she also lost her job as an accountant because of the tweet.
We always hark on about 'the power of social media' and this is a prime example of how much force it has. Nothing you put on the internet is really private and once it's out there you really can't get it back- even if it seems like a harmless comment it can have massive repercussions.
Way has since said that tweet was the biggest regret of her life- learn from her mistakes and think before you tweet.Another example of the power of social media comes from The US this week- a violent car thief was caught by Texas police five minutes after posting 'catch me if you can' on Facebook. Just because you are behind a screen it doesn't mean you are invincible and your online activity has huge implications for your personal life, and therefore job prospects.Used correctly and appropriately, social sites such as Twitter and Facebook can be so useful in helping you get a job, but as we have seen here, they can also lose you one.
