In an ideal world, yes, it would be best to completely stay off of social media while dealing with a workers’ compensation insurance claim. Your employer or their insurance company may be looking for any small way to invalidate your claim and if you’re not on social media, they can’t twist your words and use them against you.

However, we also know that social media has become so integrated into people’s lives that staying away 100 percent of the time may be next to impossible for some individuals. If you do want to continue using websites like Facebook and Twitter, try not to post anything. If you must post something, certainly do not upload photos that show you being active or doing something your injury would prevent you from doing. Even if you’re doing a “Throwback Thursday” and post an old picture, someone may still try to use that against you. And, of course, do not discuss any details of your case, injury, or how you feel about your employer.

If you do continue to engage on social media websites while you’re receiving workers’ compensation benefits, make sure you take full advantage of the privacy settings these websites offer. Block all of your posts from the outside world and be careful about any new friend requests or followers you receive; you never know who those people actually are.