By Chris Lee

Many social media users will have encountered the scenario: It’s late at night, you’ve had a drink and something tells you it would be a good idea to update your Facebook status or make a comment on Twitter. The next day you check your status and...it wasn’t such a good idea to post after all. You quickly remove your update but the damage has already been done.

To help prevent this all-too-common occurrence, programmers at security software developer Webroot have developed a free “Social Media Sobriety Test”, which enables users to block access to the social networks on which they are active or makes them pass a dexterity test to check whether they’re in a fit state to post.

Big fright out

While Webroot’s chief focus is to protect people online from cybercriminals, company spokesperson Craig Brophy said that sometimes “online security” means protecting oneself from making regrettable posts on social media when under the influence.

“We saw this as an opportunity to remind people to be responsible on social networks and to be humorous while talking about Internet security,” he told NMK.

Once downloaded, a simple interface enables users to choose which sites to block, including Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, Tumblr and other custom sites or email accounts, Brophy explained. Users can then select the hours of the day that they’re most likely to enjoy a drink at and then pass a randomly-selected sobriety test.

“It’s clear from a quick scan of any mainstream social network that drunken posting happens and given that a lot of people nowadays will be friends with maybe their boss or their mum on, say, Facebook, drunken posting really can get you into awkward situations that you’d rather not be in,” Brophy added.

Be safe, be social

With more than 11,000 fans on Facebook in its first few days, the Social Media Sobriety Test appears to have tapped into a key concern among social media users. 

“Given that one drunken online slip-up can remain on the Internet for eternity and cost you much more than your pride, we would recommend that people stay away from social networks when they’ve had a few drinks,” Brophy concluded. “Alternatively, the sobriety test should help ensure that you’re of sound enough mind to properly think through what you’re posting.

Here is the Social Media Sobriety Test video: