Yes, no, maybe so.

• Author: Wilson, Ethan
• Position: ETHICS - Ethical social media

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An opponent posts a derogatory and misleading remark about you on social media. You need to set the record straight. How do you respond?

Politics and social media can be a volatile mixture. Maintaining an ethical social media presence while balancing the demands of campaigning and public service is a great challenge. A post, comment, like or tweet might be perfectly appropriate for someone who doesn't work in a legislature. But, for those of us who do, we should ask ourselves, "Can this be taken out of context?" If the answer is yes, it is best to refrain from posting. Don't put yourself in a vulnerable position. Think, think again, then act. This slows the process down.

Everything about social media tends to promote knee-jerk reactions, which might be fine for celebrities and Internet personalities. But for elected officials and the staff they work with, thought and deliberation should go into how and when they use social media. Think, think again, and then act--or react.

Like email and other digital communication, social media lacks body language and tone of voice. Treat social media like email--give yourself time to collect...