Social Media and the Blue Unicorn in Your Tweet Stream

I don’t blog about social media much. Mainly because a lot of other people do it, and they do it well. But tonight, I want to talk about the blue unicorn in your tweet stream. Or on your Facebook. Or whatever.

For the sake of this discussion the blue unicorn is a political party. Or a religion. Or a non-religion. He’s whatever one of those things you aren’t. And he’s probably listening to you talk. Or…tweet.

Example:

JohnSmith: ^$&% the blue unicorns! They probably drown puppies.

JimHoofman: @JohnSmith um…I’m a blue unicorn. I don’t drown puppies.

JohnSmith: @Jimhoofman What? Well, I mean every blue unicorn but you.

JimHoofman: @JohnSmith there are plenty of blue unicorns who don’t drown puppies.

JohnSmith: @JimHoofman No there aren’t.

JimHoofman: @JohnSmith O_o

Twenty minutes later…

JohnSmith: I swear blue unicorns are what’s wrong with this country!

JimHoofman: I wish SOME PEOPLE were more sensitive.

Clearly, this is a ridiculous example. But I see this, all the time. I think it’s easy to sound combative when there’s no tone of voice, first of all. And if something is negative about something someone believes in deeply…well, it’s going to sound ten shades of mean whether you meant it to or not. It’s also going to feel DIRECTED at the people in your stream/on your page, who hold that particular set of beliefs.

This doesn’t mean you can’t say your opinion, but I think the big question is, if you were at a social gathering would you shout BLUE UNICORNS ARE WHAT’S WRONG WITH THIS COUNTRY while one was standing in the corner trying to drink a rum and coke?

Remember, social media is social. And you want to be a good party guest. Not one who makes blue unicorns cry.