Isn’t it strange that we live in a day and age where we find ourselves searching and reading articles regarding social media? I am still amazed that we can find articles online with the following titles: “How to grow your Instagram following”, “How to curate your Instagram feed”, “How to grow your likes”, “Create engaging captions for social media” and the list goes on. When it comes to social media, you can find just about anything and everything! But what we need to see more of is articles encouraging social media etiquette. WHY, you ask? Well, it’s has become so apparent that we live in an age where everyone feels entitled to say and do whatever they want online, without any regards for others.
Social media has encouraged most people to become mainly inward focused and so online obsessed that they forget to have, and maintain, basic online manners. As a kid, I remember being taught to greet elders, to always say please and thank you, to offer to help and so on. Nowadays, there are talks and courses that go around to schools teaching young children how to behave on social media. Yup! that is the world that we are living in, therefore, we too need to be mindful of the online ‘dos and don’ts’ when it comes to social media etiquette.
SOCIAL MEDIA DOS
Privacy settings – Know your privacy settings on your social media accounts. If you find that someone is online stalking or online hating you, you can block them or report them. You can also make your accounts private, as a means of filtering who is and isn’t allowed to view your accounts.
Dealing with negative online comments – Whether someone negatively responds to something that you have said online or you read negative things written by others online – you have the choice to entertain it or to ignore and, or delete or block the negative. Don’t get caught up in unhealthy debates with negative people, use wisdom and choose your online battles wisely.
Respect other people’s opinions – We forget that as humans we all have very different opinions and views, therefore, we cannot force others to believe in what we believe without letting them process it for themselves. Share your opinions, but be mindful and respectful of others.
Check before tagging a friend in a photo – Often people tag pictures of their friends without asking them first, they will post and tag an unflattering image of a friend online for all to see. Causing them to feel embarrassed and uncomfortable. Check before posting pictures of your friends, and ask yourself if you were that person in said image – if you would like to be tagged in that picture.
Behave and treat others online as you wish to be treated – Before venting or ranting about somebody else online, pause and think for a moment whether you would like for others to speak of you in that same light and tone.
Pause to think and filter, before over sharing online – Sometimes people use social media as their not so personal online journal. They will go into detail, and elaborate on every teeny tiny detail of their lives, and they post every hour on the hour, over sharing random information about themselves. For other online goers it becomes too much, consequently people will unfollow or hide your feed from their timelines. There is nothing wrong with NOT sharing every facet and detail of your life online with others.
Ask permission for use of others pictures – or give credit to the image sourced online.
Do not post pictures of people’s children – unless they say that it is okay with them. We need to always respect and protect our children as best as we can online.
SOCIAL MEDIA DON’TS
Follow for follow – friend or unfriend – there is an online trend where online goers “follow-unfollow” as a means of growing an audience. The problem with this, is that it does authentically grow your online following. Rather let your online following grow naturally.
Facebook status no-no’s – try to avoid online over sharing and online hating, as it can be really off-putting.
Do not respond and react emotionally online – often when we are in the heat of the moment we say things that we do not mean and we end up offending and hurting others in the process.
Do not subtweet – Sometimes online goers will subtweet something nasty about someone else without saying their actual name, but it ends up becoming so obvious who they are talking about. Online cattiness will always speak loudly and negatively of the online sub-tweeters.
Do NOT trash talk anyone Especially your boss, family members, or friends. It always has a way of coming back to you. Even if you delete it – someone will have seen it or screen shot it. Rather pause for a moment before venting online, and ask yourself “how would you feel if someone said the same thing about you online?”
Do not pretend to be someone else, and create a fake online persona – Cat-fishing people online is a big no-no, nobody likes a fake or a liar. Just be you!
Avoid online spamming – Once again just filter through what you want to share online. Know its purpose, or if it even has a purpose, or if it’s useless random information that you are wanting to share online.
I hope the following tips encouraged you to be more wise when it comes to social media ‘dos and don’ts’. Here’s to doing social media well