Social media has a way of bringing out the best or worst in you depending on your interactions. The most important skill to master is knowing that not everything is real and you don’t have to go out of your way to always remain relevant. Social media is a great way to connect with friends and family and to simply express your own personality.
But have you ever stopped to think about who else might be looking at your social media posts? Sometimes, those reading your posts are not just people you know but also strangers, stalkers and potential employers. Self-expression is a great thing, however there are certain things you need to keep in mind when you’re sharing, commenting, and retweeting.
Getting personal
Sharing your personal information for all to see can be very risky. Even if you’ve just limited your social media to “friends” or people you know, private information is vulnerable once it’s posted on social media. Avoid posting your cell phone number, home address or anything else that could have negative consequences if the wrong person came across it. Check your privacy settings and keep sensitive information to yourself.
Think about social media as a public space filled with strangers. Would you give out certain information about yourself in public knowing that lots of strangers might hear it? Would you do things in a public space knowing that strangers might see it? Treat social media like a public space and be more aware of your words and actions.
Being Controversial Online
More and more people are commenting about things that are happening in the world or that they see in their everyday lives. This is great because it means that everyone is becoming more conscious about what’s going on. However, sometimes posting stuff online can make you feel like it’s easier to say things that you wouldn’t normally say out loud to others. But before you post something just to get reactions from people online, remember that the stuff you say can actually get you into trouble. Stuff like hate-speech, threatening others or speaking badly about your workplace (or teachers), can get you fired from your job or suspended from school.
It’s okay to have an opinion on things, but you should also think about the people you’re offending – especially on public platforms like social media. If you wouldn’t say something to people in person, don’t say it on their wall or in your status updates. If it’s wrong to say certain things offline, saying it online doesn’t make it any more right.
Deleting something doesn’t mean it goes away
Things happen really fast online. You could post something quickly then delete it quickly. But, someone could also take a screenshot of it quickly and send it to others quickly. So, it’s not always easy to “take it back” when it comes to social media. It’s best not to take risks for the sake of reactions. Trying to be funny online by saying offensive things, posting personal stuff about people or yourself or using social media as a tool to bully others can have lasting consequences.
So before you post, ask yourself if what you’re saying is actually okay to say. Even if after you’ve checked your privacy settings, consider everything you say or do on social media as public. Would you do or say those things in public? Would you be okay with your post if it was somehow shared with people all over the internet? If not, then simply don’t post it.
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