MY "UNWRITTEN" RULES ON SOCIAL MEDIA

  

Nowadays, apparently everyone is on social media.

As a consequence, I thought I'd throw in my 2 cents' worth, or should I say my personal rules, "unwritten" as they may be, on the use of this online facilitator that enhances social connectivity amongst individuals as well as groups.

I would like to dwell particularly on two of the most popular mediums, namely: Facebook and Messenger.

It has become habitual for me to respond to every comment/reaction that I get on both mediums. People might think I am a zealous person for doing so when I don't really need to. Nonetheless, I believe that although there is no written rule, we are bound to respond to comments/reactions as a  matter of courtesy, regardless of differences in beliefs or opinions.

Take the case of birthdays, it is essential to acknowledge people who greet us on our birthday individually, even if it amounts to spending the whole (or even the next) day thanking each and everyone. The reason being, if these people took time to type "Happy Birthday" or sent a GIF or sticker to greet us, why can't we take time to type "Thank You" or simply "Thanks" as well. It is but proper to thank them individually and express our appreciation for their greetings.

Why, you might ask? No one is under any obligation to greet us on our birthday, but the fact that they went out of their way and spent time to do so, means they value us or we are special to them. Regardless of the reason, it is only fitting that they deserve a response from us. After all, it only entails a simple appreciation on our part to show our gratitude.

I have observed that some people are accustomed to posting just a solitary "Thank you to all who greeted me on my birthday" on their status, or simply responding with the "Like" emoticon, which I find rather impersonal (just my opinion, although I would say a lot better than not replying at all.) Never take your friends' greetings for granted, for it would be tantamount to ignoring them, or their good intentions for that matter. After all, it only happens once a year.

Next time you get a greeting from your friends, be it on your birthday or other occasions, it would not hurt to reply. It only means you acknowledge the time and effort they spent greeting you, no matter how short or insignificant it may seem.

Another thing is the proper choice of emoticons used for reactions. If the post you are reacting to concerns a loved one's demise, choose either "Sad" or "Cares" but never choose "Like" because it somehow gives the impression that you favor what happened, or feel no compassion at the misfortune of others. Small things like these may seem insignificant but could make a lot of difference for a person's feelings. It is also important that you take note of the original date of posting, and make sure it is current and not a Memory. 

Also, before posting someone's demise, ask permission from the family first or make sure that the family has made a formal announcement before sharing it on your timeline, out of respect for them.

With regards re-posting or sharing someone else's status, it is alright to share it on your timeline, but make sure you allow a certain time to lapse before sharing, unless it is something extremely urgent.

The proper thing to do is acknowledge the post first by reacting with the proper choice of emoticon, then wait a few hours or even the following day before sharing on your Timeline, as a matter of courtesy to the person who initially shared it. This is to accord the person importance by giving him/her the credit of relaying the information first. It is unethical for the person re-sharing to do so almost at the same time as the one who initially posted it. Take note that it is not a race on who gets credit for posting it first, but simply relaying an information we deem vital enough to be shared.

Proper esteem should also be accorded those who post articles regarding their own religious beliefs or faith. We must be cognizant that we have different religions, so let us respect theirs as much as we expect them to respect ours too.

Lastly, with regards sharing other people's pictures/videos/articles on our timeline, recognition should be accorded the person who owns them by indicating CTTO (credit to the owner) on your status.

These unwritten rules not only reflect your character, or the kind of person you are, but more importantly, how you value people. 

Taking everything into consideration, it only sums up to one word, "RESPECT" for others.

After all, "Respect is Earned, not Given".