Long ago and far away, there was a world without social media where people actually had to talk. Oh sure, there was still drama but you either decided to work it out or walked away....no social media bull crap involved. You didn't have to "tell the world." You kept it between you and whoever was involved. You talked about what was going on like adults. And it was wonderful.....
The invention of social media has been a blessing and a curse. Just like text messaging, it takes the context right out of things. You can't always tell someone's emotion just by reading. You think that a clever repost/retweet is what they're living (even if it's just something fun or true they saw and liked). Politics are amplified into knock down throw down arguments. Everything is bigger and more ridiculous. So, with all of that said, here are my social media manners rules...
1. Don't do that annoying letters and numbers spelling shit. 1'm s0 h4pp7 or whatever the fuck it is gets really annoying really fast. I don't want to need a decoder ring to get through your status. Save the letter/number combos for your password.
2. Limit your "vague" posts to happy shit. It's one thing to say that you're praying for a friend. It's quite another to be mopey, vague and attention-seeking. If you're depressed, seriously, get help. If you're not and you're just seeking attention, calm the fuck down and talk to someone you love.
3. Keep your arguments off Facebook. Debates are fine. In fact, they're healthy. If you and Uncle Rufus are fighting over some important family issue, keep it off facebook and twitter. Delete it and CALL him to talk about what's going on!
4. For the love of God, ask someone if you're reading something and it seems out of character. Don't attack them....Let me repeat that for good measure, DON'T attack them and get defensive because chances are that the situation is being misread. Between autocorrect and just wording things wrong, things can get really misconstrued and you might take a situation that was unintentionally sounding one way and turn it into something else if you come at them like a mama bear protecting her cub.
5. Finally, most importantly, perhaps, do not, I repeat do NOT assume that anything is about you unless you are directly tagged in it. Guess what? 99% of the time you're wrong. It has nothing to do with you. People post things all of the time and it's not always about their personal life, how they're feeling or what they're going through. Sometimes a post is just a post. Assuming shit only make you look like an ass (hence the expression "Assume makes an ass out of u and me".) It causes all sorts of shit and ends friendships over ridiculousness. I go back to #4 on this one....if you have a question, ASK....don't attack like a goddamn cheetah on a gazelle, ask a question.
Perhaps if people practiced social media etiquette AND remembered that social media is a TOOL to communicate but not the only way, we'd all be better off.
One final note: If you are one of those people that posts a dramatic "I'm getting off Facebook because it's just too much stress" more than one time a year, seriously just stay off. If you are letting social media affect your life so much that you are getting stressed over it, you need to take a step back and get involved in the real world. Talk to REAL people. Maybe even get some counseling to figure out why in the world you are allowing an app get you that upset.
**Disclaimer: This is not directed at or toward anyone in any way, shape or form. This is simply observation on a piece I've been putting together for awhile.
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