The internet never forgets

Racing between activities on weekends and a need to cool off always lands me on WhatsApp platforms.

At least I am assured of stress relief.

So expectant and predictable, comments are full of humour to liven up the place and ease pressures. WhatsApp platforms were surely my escape.

It always felt like a family, people express their emotions, share ideas and vehemently defend their points, argue out their differences coupled with a beauty in burying them the following day. There is always something to discuss; sports, music, movies, politics and especially the latest social media trends.

One Sunday afternoon while discussing national issues, a participant passed a perceived loose comment.

A caution was sent by a group member "the internet never forgets."

As usual we laughed over it and busily continued with our trolls.

Two weeks after, I chanced on a thread on one of the social media platforms, a perceived loose comment posted four years ago had been dug, subjecting the person to ridicule and insults.

Immediately, I remembered, "the internet never forgets."

We invest a lot in zipping our mouths but we are sometimes moved by our emotions, fail to control ourselves and tumble out uncouth comments on social media.

These carry a lot of weight and can haunt us in the future.

We should always remember that people out there can miss the import of our messages. They might misinterpret a joke as offense; an expensive joke. You can be taken out of context and that can adversely affect your future. This can hinder your career and mar your dreams.

"People will like your status but deep down they are agitated."

There is too much misinformation on the internet. We are in a rush to break the news.

A few minutes to analyze and validate information is difficult for us to do.

The internet is the world's database- IT NEVER FORGETS

Watch what you put out there.