When newly appointed Tasmanian Government Minister for Tourism, Hospitality and Veteran Affairs Scott Bacon MP posted a status update on his personal Facebook page this year there is simply no way he could have imagined the uproar and media attention that would result.

As he typed in the words "Launceston bound. Is it as bad as I remember it?" one would have thought there might have been a moment when he stopped and asked himself, is this a good idea?

Many newspaper articles, radio talkback and television coverage hours later he arguably emerged with his reputation still intact, but a simple Facebook status update could have been the undoing of this promising young politicians career in Tasmania.

Mr Bacon, like so many others, forgot for just a second that everything that you put out into the public arena on these channels are just that. Public.

With new Tasmanian research in the Font Social Media Index showing that 58 per cent of the population is using these channels its time for people to realise that not only is this not a fad, it is something to be taken very seriously by business and individuals alike.

Your employees are online, your suppliers are online and your customers are online.

Ignoring the opportunities and the threats posed by social media is simply bad business and its also extremely unsociable.

Ensuring there are adequate policies and procedures around how you act on social media can be the difference between business and sponsorship dollars and public embarrassment and ridicule (just ask Australian swimmer Stephanie Rice).

Think before you tweet is a phrase mentioned the world over these days and the same stands for status updates and posting pictures and video.

Indeed there are even iPhone applications devoted to figuring out whether the user has had too much to drink before allowing access to their phone in case of drunken tweeting or Facebooking.

Remember that what you do and say online is (for the most part) public, take a lesson from Mr Bacon and Ms Rice, and make sure you remember that in this current age, status is everything.