WHEN was it that we so many of us stopped keeping our feelings to ourselves and learned to vent to the universe?

It must have been over the past decade as social media really became established because, in habits that would probably gladden the hearts of psychologists, we now refuse to keep any emotions private and insist on letting everyone know our innermost thoughts.

Unfortunately, although this can be both harmful and embarrassing, it can also now cost you your job as the European Court of Human Rights has given the go-ahead for bosses to spy on staff emails.

This results from the landmark case of an engineer sacked for using a social media site while at work and relates to personal use of company systems including Facebook and other social media.

Now, most staff are sensible at least about where they air their opinions and invective and won’t slag off the boss, the company or work colleagues while actually at work, using the company computer.

No, this doesn’t make it all right to moan about your job at home, criticise your workmates or explain to the world what an idiot your boss is when you’re on your own computer or iPad, either. But at least here there is a chance your boss won’t see it.

I know this sounds ancient, but it really isn’t that long ago that such feelings were either committed to a diary that stayed hidden from sight or were only discussed in private with a partner or best friend. After all, why would you make potentially damaging views public and risk repercussions?

The seduction of the computer, iPad or phone is that some of us actually believe we are talking in private to just one person or a few mates. Even, apparently, when we press Send the thought fails to flicker across our brains that such, often libellous, utterings might reach the person or organisation mentioned.

But they don’t call it the worldwide web for nothing and, as numerous stupid instances of people making offensive statements online have shown, if you post it the chances are it will come back to bite you.

If this latest cautionary tale isn’t publicised well enough, HR personnel aren’t able to stress it strongly enough, or people just decide to ignore it, expect some interesting work-related litigation in the future. I’ll send you all the details in an email.