It wasn’t long ago when social media didn’t even exist in our lives. Now, almost everyone has their own social media account. Social Media has its advantages when used positively and effectively. It can inspire others, reach more people, find successful businesses, sometimes find love, bridge distances and learn from others. But unfortunately, there is a tendency that the use of our social media can portray us in a bad light and may lead to unsatisfactory results. As women, we also have to bring in class or well mannered when using our social media.
Here are 7 Classy LadyLike Social Media Etiquette to follow:
Don’t overshare
Even if social media is a place for us to share our day, our thoughts, and our milestones, remember, it is still a public space where you have only acquaintances, work colleagues you barely talk to in your company, old classmates you haven’t spoken to in years, a relative you don’t know personally and a friend of a friend of a friend. Nobody needs to know everything in your life that was reserved for family and close friends only. Safeguard your privacy with vigilance. Anyway, the mystery is one of the allure of a classy woman. Be mysterious. Sharing is fine but never overshare.
Don’t rant
We all have those (bad) days. Often, we treat our social media accounts, especially our Facebook and Twitter accounts, as the cool best-friend we often vent out to. But no, they are not our cool best-friend. We don’t lash out, vent, and rant on our social media accounts for the whole world to see our meltdown and raging emotions. Take a deep breath, step away from your phone or computer, and pause. It is tempting to make our social media a quick, easy therapy session for our current emotional anguish, but we need not. Call a trusted friend, your sister, your mother, or a reliable older mentor who will hear you out and guide you with the best intentions. If you open up to social media, you are opening yourself up to unnecessary judgments, criticisms, poorly-guided advice, and sources of gossip.
Be mindful of the photos you post
Make sure to post photos that are inspiring, flattering, and tasteful. Don’t share the pictures of drunken late-night sessions with your girlfriend; in your underwear or nighttime lingerie; unflattering or unladylike posts with your tongue out, legs apart, your bra strap hanging out; seeing you being rambunctious and not presenting yourself as a woman should.
Be mindful of tagging other people.
Be careful when tagging other people. Some people are protective of their privacy. Ask permission first from the other person if they want to be ‘tagged’ on your post. Check also if the other people in the photos have gotten a good picture of themselves for group photos. They may be embarrassed to see a photo of them on social media that didn’t look good, and you posted it anyway.
Don’t share foul humor videos and celebrity gossip links.
Don’t share those foul green funny videos, reels, or comics sent to you by your kid brother. It is not good to repost celebrity gossip links like you’re a Gossip News Correspondent. When you post on social media, it also creates an image of you- sometimes, it is not congruent with who you are. You post a funny, vulgar joke; they think you are unsophisticated. If you post celebrity gossip, you come off as gossip. Like you do post those things, and you became those things.
Avoid crass, vulgar language.
Avoid crass, vulgar language. A lady is always mindful of the words that come out of their mouth. The same goes for those words they type in social media. They should be bearers and messengers of words that inspire, are positive, and are beautiful.
Don’t spam
Use social media sparingly. Don’t post every minute of the day or upload every quote you want to share or share daily. Post sparingly and think before doing so.
I blogged and wrote about my current social media usage and how I use each platform intentionally. You can read it here: https://littlemisshoney.com/social-media-you-me-a-look-on-our-current-social-media-use/
Think first before publishing or commenting on posts.
Lastly, think and pause before posting or commenting on any posts. Social media is an open space where people are easily misinterpreted, judged harshly, and triggered by other people’s feelings or thoughts. Be mindful always.
This time is a great way to reflect on how we present ourselves on our social media accounts. It is good to check on how we can utilize social media as a space to connect with like-minded people, be a model to others, and keep in touch with family & friends, always with grace and class
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