Avoid social media pitfalls with these guidelines

Arnold Angelo Aureo, Writer

According to Brandwatch, a digital consumer intelligence company, there are about 3.5 billion active social media users. With this many people interacting on social media, the possibility of meeting a complete stranger at some point is high. To make sure that these interactions are pleasant, we should be aware of proper social media etiquette.

One obvious way of properly interacting with people online is to practice the Golden Rule. Never post something about another person that you wouldn’t want posted about you. Try to think about how someone would react or feel about your post or message, in other words, be empathic. Acting kindly to others and creating positive posts will make it easier to follow this guideline.

Creating clear and coherent posts is also an important way of behaving properly on any social media. Always make sure to avoid grammar mistakes and overusing punctuation marks. According to Psychology Today, a lack of mutual understanding is the number one cause of arguments and fights, so always try to clarify everything posted online.

Lastly, privacy is something we should always observe. It’s best to ask permission before posting someone’s image or personal information. We should also be more careful about the information we share online about ourselves and avoid sharing too much. Always remember that everything we do online can always be traced back to us.

Some people are careless when using social media and inadvertently cause damage to themselves or other people. Before posting anything on social media make sure it is rational, harmless, and not hostile. In the end, we are responsible for our experiences with social media. If we practice proper social media etiquette, it can help us meet people and open doors for positive opportunities. Simply by acting properly in the virtual world will make everyone’s experience better.