SOCIAL media such as Facebook and Twitter has totally transformed the way we communicate and made possible global interactions and information-sharing on a hither to undreamt-of scale.

But it has also brought a new set of problems which everyone who uses it must carefully consider before committing their thoughts to the keyboard.

As we have seen over the past week or so, postings have a habit of coming back to haunt those who make them. Bradford West MP Naz Shah will certainly think twice about sharing posts in the future, and a local DJ has also found material he posted was considered offensive enough to mean Bradford Pride decided not to use him.

Now a Freedom of Information request has revealed that dozens of public sector workers across West Yorkshire, including police staff, council workers, NHS staff and ambulance service managers, have all been disciplined for inappropriate posts.

The problem is that this type of exchange all seems chatty and informal, like talking to mates in the pub, but once online, comments are effectively there forever and can’t be taken back.

With more and more prospective employers trawling social media to find those who want to work for them, there are many reasons to think twice before posting.

Of course, freedom of expression is vital, and no one should be censured from sharing their thoughts. But if it is offensive or inappropriate and you are going to find it difficult to defend it at a later date, it’s probably as well to keep it to yourself.