Social Media Day is observed on June 30 as a way to celebrate social media’s impact on our day-to-day communication.
We all know that social media has greatly redefined how people interact, communicate, and share with family and friends. It has become an integral part of every Filipino’s life.
Based on a recent study on social media behavior, Filipinos spend an average of four hours and 17 minutes each day on various social media sites that include Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. The Philippines even ranked 1st in the number of hours spent on social media daily.
With the high usage of social media, there is a need for people to be more cautious of what they post, share and comment to. Businesses and some individuals refer to social media etiquette or social media guidelines to better manage their reputation online.
Become a responsible social media user by following these social media etiquette:
- Don’t badmouth anyone – social media should be a platform to initiate meaningful conversations. It’s not a place to vent out your issues. Don’t use it to spread negativity!
- Don’t be too hard-sell – make your social media profile a right mix of promotional and valuable content. Curate your content in such a way that your audience will learn from you, be engaged with what you do and get interested to avail your products and services.
- Respect other people’s opinion – When you comment, post or share anything on social media, keep in mind that not everyone has the same opinion as you do. Be sensitive to your post and respect the opinion of other netizens. Share facts, not fake news!
- Monitor the frequency of your post – Stop oversharing. Spammy posts or too many posts can be very annoying. Remember, you do not have to share everything on social media. Choose what you share and how often you will post.
- Build up your image – If a stranger visits your profile, what do you think he/she thinks about you? Check your profile. Identify which image you would want to portray on social media. It might make or break you.
- Don’t be a cyberbully – You should be responsible and mature enough not to be part of cyberbullying. Always be sensitive when interacting with other people on social media.
- Give due credit – Social media is a good place to share your work but make sure you ask permission, acknowledge and cite the source when you use material or content from others.
“What we post online is forever and what you post is tied to you forever”. A single mistake can make or break us so we have to make sure to think before we post and keep these social media etiquette in mind on our next social media engagement.
