Managing mental health and the social media mob

Next time you call out a brand on the internet please stop and think about the individuals behind the social media profile.

EasyJet posted an errant tweet this week asking a customer to take down an image. It was clumsy at best.

The social media and public relations community was quick to pile in and criticise EasyJet’s actions. The mob pitched its faux fury in Facebook groups, Twitter and industry media.

EasyJet is no doubt reviewing its social media governance but there’s a far bigger issue at play.

The CIPR State of Profession report published in April said that the public relations industry is facing a mental health epidemic. The PRCA Census published in May said a third of practitioners had suffered mental health issues.

Is it any bloody wonder?

The individuals who run social media accounts are one misplaced post away from becoming an international news story every day. It’s a situation that’s particularly acute for anyone working in public services.

Organisations don’t tweet, people do.