The Etiquette of Social Media

How to Not Embarrass Yourself and Others

So, you've made the brave step and entered into the world of social media. Or maybe you've had it awhile and think you're a pro. Either way, there are some basic rules to the usage of social media that everyone needs to understand. 

1. Don't Post Too Often

This is one of the most abused functions of Facebook. For a Facebook status, try to make it something that is relevant or meaningful to your life, and also something that you think others would enjoy. A great example is a big event like moving to a new state or going on an awesome vacation. Feel free to share pictures with your new meaningful status. And if you like to post every few minutes, try Twitter, it's much more accepted there.


2. Don't Have Annoyingly Long Posts

Why? Because people won't read it. Social media, as hard as it tries, is not the best place for long form writing. There is a saying on the internet, abbreviated: tl;dr. It stands for "Too long; didn't read." It is often used to preface a short summary that describes a longer post. People often scroll through their social media faster than a Baptist trying to get to brunch. The simple truth is that if people see a wall of text, they are going to climb right over it. Who knows, maybe you're scrolling past this right now. So be succinct!




3. Beware the Power of the Tag

This one is pretty important. When "tagging" someone, in other words, by pressing the @ symbol and typing in someone's name, you are effectively showing all of that person's friends what you're about to post. Yikes.

Let's think about that for a moment. Does it still seem like a great idea to tag your child in that old family photo where they're half naked on the beach? The main idea is that you're taking away a person's ability to control what is posted about them on social media. You can remove tags, but once the deed is done, everyone who is looking at their social media at that point will see whatever embarrassing memory you have dragged up.

Don't be that person. Ask before you tag!





4. Use Messenger

For those moments when you want to share something, but don't necessarily need the world seeing, there's Messenger. This handy icon, shown here with the red notification, allows you to send a message of whatever length to any member on Facebook. This is a powerful tool because it does not even require you to be "friends" with the person you are messaging. Great for pictures, movies, or funny cat videos, Facebook Messenger is faster than email and more convenient than a text message for certain content. Take advantage of this great tool!





Social media is a strange animal, but when used appropriately and in moderation, it can be a great tool to stay in contact with friends and family. However, when abused, it becomes a monster capable of causing much more emotional stress than is appropriate. But the question of why we let social media affect us so much is another problem entirely.

For now, post interesting, succinct content and be mindful of what you say to other people. Picture yourself speaking to a person in a loud voice in a room full of other people, because that's what it is. Want to share something personal? Use Messenger, or better yet, go talk to them in person!

Have fun pretending to socialize.

- The Help Desk