Social Media: Use with Caution
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Do you remember a time when your parents told you that you could become anyone you wanted to be? Chances are, they believed in you – the distinct uniqueness of you and your ability to achieve anything you wanted to. It is unlikely they believed that you’d need to create a persona and star in a fake reality TV show of your own making in order to have value, but this is where we are. Everyone wants to be the star of their own reality TV show, and social media platforms have created a mechanism for drama, falsehoods, unrealistic expectations, and friendships.
It cannot be overlooked that being present on social media platforms also offers benefits such as staying in touch with family and friends around the world, earning and learning opportunities, and access to products and services that, in years past, would have been unavailable or unknown. I am troubled, however, by the fact that we are sending the wrong messages to children and teenagers that this is the way of life –a world of fake reality that devalues their worth, while striving to achieve ridiculous and unattainable measures. This constant exposure to perfection has even affected the self-identity of many adults; imagine what is happening to our children and teens.
Your presence on social media is important. Here are some tips for managing it:
I cannot overstress this first one – maintain a secure page that requires a friend request where permissible. A secure page gives you more control over what people outside your network can see, allowing you to better manage how you are viewed.
Only link, follow, or friend people you know and trust. I’ve seen profiles on social media where people have thousands of friends, literally, no one has that many friends!
Be mindful of the type of photos and videos you’re posting. Do not post photos displaying sexually charged situations, alcohol, or drugs.
Be careful with reposts – you can be just as liable as the original poster for passing on defamatory or other legally dubious statements, photos, or content.
Steer clear of incorrect grammar and inappropriate language.
Monitor your social media platforms and hide inappropriate posts or unfriend those individuals who do not abide by your wishes.
Consider whether you want to friend professional colleagues on social network pages. Although your goal may be to maintain a fun, friendly, and/or informative page, you may want to create a separate page for colleagues and/or clients.
Finally, if you don’t have anything nice to say about someone, just don’t say it. You never know the mindset of someone that you are criticizing, and you should never get comfortable degrading someone on social media because you believe you are safe behind your computer. There have been instances where people have been tracked down and confronted in person by those about whom a negative comment was made. Some people are willing to spend hours or days looking for you and have been known to travel long distances to confront the person who made a negative comment about them.
