"@ someone who will not be named #ivomited"
"Eat some makeup and then maybe you'll be pretty on the inside"
"Your tweets are as stupid as you are"
Raise your hand if you've posted or thought about posting a passive-aggressive comment on social media. Now put your hands down. I know that 98.2% of you just raised your hands and that's okay. There is still time to change. New year, new you right?
Ah, the art of subtweeting. It truly is an art. You have to figure out exactly what you are going to say without making it too obvious who you are talking about all while keeping it under 140 characters. For those of you that are unaware of what subtweeting is (@ Mom and Dad this is for you), it is the act of tweeting about a person without including his or her Twitter handle. It's essentially the online version of talking behind someone's back. Except you're not. When you make a subtweet, especially if your Twitter account isn't private, anyone and their mother can see it.
It's also worth mentioning that people who subtweet have a tendency to come off as pretty gross and petty. Instead of harming the person you're mad at, you're hurting yourself and making yourself look like a drama queen in the process. Chances are someone has screenshotted your remark and is mocking you before the person you want to see it even notices your post. Hurting the person you're mad at isn't really worth alienating other people or having them alter their opinions about you. Now I know what y'all are thinking. "But Claire, it is my right to be able to express whatever is on my mind." While that may be true, it doesn't always mean you should. Do you want your future employers to see your heated subtweets? Probably not. Are you in the market for some new friends or a new love interest? A profile full of subtweets isn't going to help your case. Instead of scaring people off by posting jabs, vent about it to your friends if it's really bothering you that much.
What most people don't realize is that subtweeting is cyberbullying. Bullying others on social media is not okay. We may not agree with other people's actions or opinions, but we should still respect them. It is not okay to purposely go out of our way to make someone feel horrible about themselves.
The next time you're fuming with rage, think before you tweet. While it might be hard to resist subtweeting a jab at someone who has wronged you, it will probably just worsen the situation and cause unnecessary stress. Just say no to subtweeting and your life will be much simpler.
