Features Lounge

Is it wrong to vent on Facebook

The best way to end a day (and in equal measures, probably the saddest!) is to scroll through Facebook indulging in the woes of others. Most times it's better than an episode of Eastenders! But very often when I'm reading another verbal attack on some poor soul, I find myself wondering; just how much should we vent via social media?

The Twittersphere is rife with celebs taking pot shots at each other and as a result this week, Simon Cowell announced that because of the things Jessie J had written about him over the last year, she would no longer be welcomed onto X-Factor to perform any new material - quite a knock to any promoting artist. Then of course there was Cheryl/Harvey, have they/haven't they gate, a cheek colouring moment for both parties when all was said and done, after a very public argument.

Companies now issue warnings about the use of social media in and out of work and many will hold individuals responsible for their actions as they tap out their frustrations on the keyboard at the end of the working day - I.E. Your boss will sack you if you bitch about her to your followers and she finds out.

Not only that, but Facebook is widely used to vet a potential employee by many businesses before contracts are signed. What better way to check out the sort of nutter you're hiring than by scouring verbally abusive and borderline slanderous status updates and examining dodgy pics from that mad holiday in Magaluf?

Don't get me wrong, I've been there, done that and got the t-shirt when it comes to blowing off a little steam about an ex, a colleague, or even a friend on Facebook. For someone that can't stand confrontation it's the perfect platform to have a good bitch without a face to face argument, but I'd like to think that I've learnt from the error of my ways. Having an argument on Facebook is the sci-fi equivalent of appearing on Jeremy Kyle and this thought utterly horrifies me. I wouldn't lower myself to air my dirty laundry in front of millions on TV, so why would I do it online?

Making a suggestive "well I know who my friends are," kind of comment is also not going to end well either. It won't make you feel better, it will probably end in some kind of row between acquaintances and truth be told, if the person you're ranting about is really that self absorbed, unless you actually name and shame them, they aren't going to think you're talking about them anyway. You might just as well save your typing fingers the effort and try to sort the problem out between the two of you or walk away from the friendship.

Hmm, the more I think about it, the more I think social media needs to have a bit of a block on rants. It's fantastic for keeping in touch with long lost friends around the globe, brilliant for fundraising or advertising your latest venture, but take my advice dear readers - save the bitching for a cup of coffee with your bestie.