Keller @ Large: Nothing Good Comes From Late-Night Tweeting
BOSTON (CBS) --- Like all fathers, when my boys were teenagers, I used to have certain "dad-isms" that I would preach to them, and one of my favorites was "nothing good happens after midnight." A totally accurate cliché, but one they both ignored until, of course, bad stuff did happen after midnight, at which point I'm sure both of them paused to reflect that "gee, dad was right!"
Or something like that.
Anyway, it's time for a new dad-ism – nothing good can come of a tweet sent after 10 p.m.
Listen to Jon's commentary:
That's what happened to the Patrick administration Thursday after people got wind of a tweet sent out late Wednesday night steering people to a Department of Health and Human Services blog posting about Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
The key phrase: "sexual assault is always avoidable."
Whoops.
That drew widespread condemnation from folks understandably reading it as blaming the victim, and it wasn't long before the tweet was removed, the governor was calling it "stupid," and the people responsible were profusely apologizing.
I'm sure they meant no harm, but that's the point of those dad-isms, is it?
People get stupid after midnight and harm occurs. Likewise, tweeting late at night, when you're tired or perhaps under the influence, is risky business.
In fact, trying to express anything serious in 140 characters or less is probably a bad idea. Twitter encourages instantaneous, reactive expression, and that can lead to trouble.
So for goodness sakes, listen to your dad, will you?
And while you're at it – get off my lawn!
You can listen to Keller At Large on WBZ News Radio every weekday at 7:55 a.m. You can also watch Jon on WBZ-TV News.