Digital Life Matthewwebster

The BBC believes that no radio programme is complete without insisting we use some ‘hashtag’ or other on ‘social media’. This social media industry is far from fresh-faced (Facebook is thirteen years old, Twitter is eleven, Instagram is six) and it’s growing.

What baffles me is why so many otherwise sensible people take part so enthusiastically. I just don’t get it.

First, in case you’re not up to speed, here are the basics. All social media platforms are free to use; you are given your own page and you can all ‘post’ anything you want to it – text, pictures, videos – with almost no scrutiny.

Your post is visible to all users, but most won’t see it unless they specifically follow you or if you have included a phrase prefixed by the hash symbol (# – hence ‘hashtag’). The platform will then group together all posts that include that hashtag; for example, the BBC radio Any Questions? hashtag is #bbcaq.

Similar rules apply to the various platforms, with variations, but you get the idea. They use all the information in your posts to sell advertising; that’s how they make money.

Now, if you are one of those who post things on these platforms, may I ask you to gaze into your soul and ask yourself why on earth you do it? Is there really any benefit to you or anyone else other than the platform itself?

I have concluded that ‘posters’ fall into one or more of only a few categories:

People with something to promote: OK, fair enough; we all have a living to earn. The broadcaster Piers Morgan says he is now contractually obliged to use Twitter because it promotes his television work; as he has over six million followers on Twitter, I expect it does. We do it at The Oldie, too.

Customer service: Another good use. It is often easier to find out via Twitter why your train is late than from the hard-pressed guard.

Citizen Journalists: Those people who send posts from places where something interesting is happening. The trouble is – are they telling the truth?

Correcting mistakes: Honest people who want to put right a wrong they have noticed, perhaps on a TV programme. They are sincere and well-meaning but I am afraid that their posts are seldom read. I am reminded of a Randall Munroe cartoon: a man is sitting at his computer, saying to his wife, ‘I can’t come to bed, this is important; someone is wrong on the internet.’

People with an axe to grind: They always appear during any politically related television programme and are usually very cross.

Nasty pieces of work: These are ‘trolls’ who anonymously write hateful things about public figures. Examine the Twitter feed of any prominent female or uppercrust politician, if you want an eyeopening glance into unpleasant minds.

People who love the sound of their own voices: The largest group and, I’m afraid, also the most vain. It includes all the people who used to flock to pubs and club bars and bore us all with their endless, ill-informed twaddle. I suppose if we can thank the internet for one thing, it is that it might keep some of these people out of the bars.

I don’t want to appear too dismissive, especially as I suspect there may be another group of people who find that posting offers a solution to loneliness.

However, if you do post online, for whatever reason (and I am sure that, among Oldie readers, the reasons are all pure), please always keep in mind that you should never post a comment you would not want attributed to you on the front of the Daily Mail. Because, one day, it might be. The internet is for ever.

Other changes are also arriving to help people with small tax bills. HMRC has just introduced what it calls simple assessment, to cut down the number of tax returns sent in. The Revenue already knows a lot about your financial affairs and will use this information to calculate your tax bill. The first to avoid tax returns are new state pensioners who had income above the personal tax allowance in 2016/17. All existing state pensioners whose state pension is more than the personal allowance will switch out of self-assessment in 2018/19.

There is one drawback. The onus is on you to be sure the information is correct. You need to contact HMRC within sixty days of receiving the demand, if any of the information is incorrect. You must always tell the Revenue about other untaxed income you have, such as rent from property, income from overseas or self-employed earnings.

If you do receive a tax return from HMRC, you must send it back completed, whether you owe tax or not. Anyone who still wants to send in a paper tax return had until 31st October. If you missed the deadline, you have until 31st January to organise it online; otherwise you face a £100 fine. If you are uncertain what to do, or are concerned about tax returns, telephone HMRC on 0300 200 3300, textphone 0300 200 3319, or visit www. gov.uk and click on money and tax.

People on low income (under £20,000 a year) and aged over sixty can get help from Tax Help for Older People on 0845 601 3321 or 01308 488066 (www.taxvol. org.uk). Younger people on low incomes who can’t sort out problems with HMRC can talk to Tax Aid on 0345 120 3779. You can also try Citizens’ Advice on 0345 404 0506 (www.citizensadvice.org.uk).