Consequences of Misuse

Very often content is posted online or via social media without any thought to the potential for repercussions. Social media and the internet are fast, instant even (sometimes) and there’s a lot of instant gratification involved – it’s great to get 400 likes immediately, to have responses to your posts and to feel all that attention and impact.

But if you are misusing social media and the internet to bully and harass (or if that is the effect of your postings) – you can also expect to have other consequences. For instance: your workplace and university will investigate for breaches of their policies, the police may become involved, and you are likely to feel some negative personal impact also – now and, potentially, in the future.

The University will become involved if you are a student here, whether your actions take place on campus or off, and you can find yourself facing investigations, sanctions (including suspension or even expulsion from the University in very serious cases), possible criminal proceedings and reputational damage.