Perhaps you’ve heard this trending story about Brian Presley (an actor) & Melissa (a model). (if not, here’s a brief summation here) via Huffington Post
Just read David Amerland’s piece, When Melissa Met Brian: A Lesson in Social Media Ethics over at Social Media Today.
So, my take. Melissa started with the assumption that Brian was attempting to cheat on his wife with her and ran with that. In analysis, this seems an act of arrogance on her part. (The man in the seat next to you is talking to you. The only reason is he wants sleep with you?)
Be that as it may, she unleashed the mindless reactivity of the internet. It’s amazing how quickly that can get launched and how nearly impossible it is to put that “genie back in the bottle”.
Sure, it’s important for us social media users to think before we post, but we should also consider thinking before acting on something we read. Always remember there are two sides to a story.
(Mea cupla: I saw this as it was trending hot on Twitter and thought Brian a cad. As this has shaken out, I’m realizing he’s not as culpable as first appeared. In particular, at no point does he proposition her, or even ask for a phone number).
