One in three Americans have “poster's remorse” and regret posting something online, according to a new survey.
The recent Retrevo Gadgetology study polled 1 000 Internet users and looked at how people use gadgets in their lives. Retrevo is a consumer electronics review and shopping site.
According to Retrevo, when the new results are compared to a similar study conducted a year ago, it appears as if online users are not learning from their mistakes, as the number has subtly increased from 32% to 35%.
Fifty-four percent of respondents under 25, and 32% of respondents over 25 said they regret posting something online. As the younger, tech-savvy generation continue to grow up with social media as an integral part of their everyday lives, the number is expected to increase.
Don't be a Weiner
The study was reportedly inspired by the Twitter mishap of disgraced congressman Anthony Weiner. Weiner accidentally posted a link to a lewd photograph of himself on Twitter. The post was quickly removed, but the damage was already done.
Weiner tried to blame the post on hackers, but later admitted he had been sending the photo to several women and had posted it to his Twitter feed instead of via direct message.
In the study, 11% of those who posted something they regret said it did not cause any problems. A further 15% said they were able to remove it, while for 6% it caused problems at home or work, and 3% said it ruined their marriage or relationship.
Director of public relations and social media for Retrevo.com Jennifer Jacobson says the information people post on sites like Facebook and Twitter can easily go on to have a life of its own.
“You don't always know who's following you and just about anyone can take a screenshot of your post, save it and share it with the world,” says Jacobson.
Not-so-smart-phone
The study also showed that smartphone users are more than twice as likely to post something they regret than non-smartphone users.
Results show that iPhone users have the highest rate of online remorse, with 51% expressing regret compared to 43% of Android users and 45% of BlackBerry addicts.
“Our hunch is that smartphones make it too easy to snap a photo at a bar or wild party and send it right on to Twitter or Facebook,” says Retrevo.
“While this can be a humorous Hollywood movie plot, it's somehow not as funny when it hits closer to home.”
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