Our Guide for Social Media Proprieties

That feeling when you are like taken to a virtual wet market! Though market is where you can buy the freshest produce from your  favorite vendors, it is also a place where noise is mixed with curses and yells and wherein fury can extend to physical altercations.

Image source: spyderbytemedia.com

In Philippines, if you are labeled as “PALENGKERA” that means you are ill-mannered person. People who have less regard to propriety are turning the world of social media into WET MARKET.

They're not literally coming from markets-with all due fairness to those who sell for decent living. I just used the words to stress my subjects who (some) are actually my friends in facebook who happened to be Filipinos.

This collectively applies to ALL.

KNOW THESE!

1. Depending on your privacy settings, anything you shared on Facebook can reach up to more than a billion users .
2. “Think before you click “. Social media is not your personal emotional trash bin by which you throw all your heart aches and pains.
3. There is a thin line between STRAIGHT FORWARD and being RUDE. If there is a word that comes  between the two maybe that is TACTLESS. Make use of SARCASM to discreetly hide your anger in your post.
4. YOU are just ONE of more than a billion users in facebook. But you sound like you are the most beautiful, smartest and the richest. Really!?
5. Have cultural sensitivity. Topics like religion and politics require wit. If you doubt yourself to have it then READING is for you. Don't settle on just ranting and enjoying the patronage of your LIKERS. FUNNY and SMART are not the same dear.
6. Be considerate. You can trim your words without really hurting others. I believe in censorship. It's a matter of words and tone. You can talk about sex without being too risque.
7. Selfies are good especially if they are inspiring. Not all netizens get inspired by the same default of selfie you post every now and then.
8. Know that there is this what we call INBOX/DM/PM.
9. THE RULES OF TAGGING! Know it and keep friends.
10. Videos are okay. If it's explicitly sexual by default, make sure that your mom and dad are not your FRIENDS/FOLLOWERS.
11. There is a life behind your wall. Don't fall into trap of your own pretensions.
12. Facebook is not your diary. Leave a space for people to know the real you behind their monitors.
13. Stalking is not bad so long as you do it for something better. This is why we should classify details according to audience.
14. Your social media account can be your portfolio. Companies make use of them for background check.
15. Know what DIGITAL FOOTPRINT is.
16. Social media is full of GRAMMAR NAZIS. Duh! I got your back! I have share of embarrassments. Correct your phrase ASAP once noticed.
17. FAKE NEWS. Knowing is everything.
18. CLICK BAITS. Newly released websites and blogs will lure you with inviting images to take you to their empty or nonsense/ irrelevant contents just to increase their ranking and web traffic.
19. ALGORITHM. Facebook and Google behave according to how you use them. If you don't want irrelevant ads to appear in your newsfeed, do not engage in public forum regarding which topic.
20. Social media is in general a space where anybody can be SOMEBODY. Use it RESPONSIBLY.
21. Make use of FOLLOW/UNFOLLOW button.
22. UNFRIEND and
23. BLOCK
24. if NECESSARY
25. ESPECIALLY if they don't follow the basic rules of social media NETIQUETTE