Social Media Modern “Netiquette”
Social media netiquette refers to the precepts that individuals and companies use to maintain their reputation online. (Unsplash photo)
If you think that social media is a walk in the park — think again. You might think that it is easy to post, re-post, share, like, tweet, re-tweet, comment, un-follow, and follow. On the contrary, it is more complicated. Evidence of poor “netiquette” (which stands for Internet etiquette) can cleave around to haunt you for the rest of your life. The Internet can be a toxic hellscape. It is easy to go viral for the wrong reasons because of your post or shared post, like, comment, tweet, or re-tweet — these can have lifelong repercussions. There is a real danger that whatever achievements you may have in life can all go down the toilet because of one unfortunate post or tweet. Therefore, the rules of modern netiquette are vital in the cyberspace world that we dwell in.
Social media netiquette refers to the precepts that individuals and companies use to maintain their reputation online. Just as social etiquette dictates how people should behave around others in the real world, Internet etiquette centres on social media guidelines to follow. It is important to have impeccable netiquette to avoid damaging your online relationships and reputation.
Here are a few netiquette guidelines to go by for starters:
➢ Always use respectful language. Social media is not the right platform to cuss, use name-calling, express deliberate and intentional offensive opinions, or even use of text in all capital letters, which can be read as yelling. Simply put: Respectful language for ourselves guides our morals whereas respectful language for others guides our manners. It is not just what you say, it is also how you say it. A friendly reminder: The Cyberspace world has a boomerang and reverberate effect. What you put out there bounces back to you a thousandfold. We don’t have to be rude and disrespectful to each other because of our political, religious, cultural or lifestyle differences. We can still respectfully disagree with each other. Friendships are more valuable than opinions and beliefs.
➢ Do a factual check before you post, tweet, share, or comment. There is no room for “relayed whispers” in the Internet platform (relayed whispers is an internationally popular children’s game in which players form a line, and the first player comes up with a message and whispers it to the ear of the second person in the line — who in turns — share a totally different story). Fictitious stories, urban myths, and gossips only add annoying noise to the cyberspace stage. Spreading salacious tittle-tattles, malicious stories and false information can lead you to a libel suit. Check your information carefully before posting, sharing, or commenting.
➢ Be mindful of how many times you post or like. Don’t over-post, over-tweet or over-gram! No one wants his or her feed filled up by one user. It’s irritating. There’s no rule or guideline as to how many you should post, but, do space out your posts every few hours. The same with liking someone’s post — don’t barrage their notification boards with your likes. By posting frequently, you also run the risk of being overexposed. When you create too much noise, people tend to tune you out. Posting too much is akin to being a chatterbox. Celebrities are guilty of this faux pax: they share too much online and by doing so, they tend to lose their aura by becoming too accessible. Be an Audrey Hepburn in a world of Kim Kardashians. You’re not being relevant by posting too much — you’re being downright tiresome.
➢ Choose your friends wisely. You know how the saying goes: it’s all about quality and not quantity. You don’t need 5,000 friends on Facebook. In real life, do you have that many friends? Be careful of who you allow in your circle. Be choosy of who you keep around you. Personalities, traits, and words do rub off naturally. The company that you keep does have an enormous effect, impact, and influence on your choices. Personally, I take advantage of Facebook’s privacy settings whenever I post. I choose which friends can see my private postings. The whole world does not need to know every detail about you or your thoughts. If I want to use my voice for supporting a cause I believe in — I post it for public consumption to raise awareness.
➢ Must you vent in public? We all get it — venting is necessary. It’s mentally healthy to release pent up emotions. However, is it a must that you vent to all your hundreds of friends and followers on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter? It’s like airing out your dirty laundry in public. When you vent, you are reacting based off your emotions. Before you vent, try to remind yourself this fact: your Facebook friends and Instagram or Twitter followers are not fitted out with the tools to help you overcome your deep-rooted issues or assist you with dealing with your anger. By venting online, you set yourself up as an easy target for trolls and critics alike. Try writing a private journal instead.
➢ Don’t ever like your own post. It screams of utter desperation and low self-esteem.
➢ Don’t beg for likes, comments, or shares either. You don’t need others’ approval. Never beg for anyone’s approval.
➢ Know the art of hashtag. One hashtag is sufficient. Ten hashtags are over the top!
➢ Give due credit to the original source of your post. It shows respect and giving credit where credit is due is an extremely rewarding habit to form. Its rewards are inestimable.
➢ Don’t buy followers. When you buy followers or fans, you are essentially getting people who are not interested or willing to engage with you. You are only buying numbers and numbers aren’t everything. Remember, not all metrics are the same either. After paying for fans and followers or engaging in an aggressive follow churn — you are most likely to get a sizeable number of fake accounts amongst your followers. Besides, you are not fooling others; you are only deceiving yourself.
Above all, always apply the golden rule: act how you want others to act toward you. If you want to be credited, credit others. If you want to be treated politely, respond, and comment politely. Be the brand that you want to be. More importantly, be the person you want to be. Stay positive and be a positive influence. Choose your words and tone wisely — both in cyberspace and in real world.
