As social media has grown in popularity so too have the opportunities for mishaps. From Aunty Mary’s continuous Facebook friend requests to potential employers trawling through your twitter feed it has all become a bit of a minefield. Here at SMARTDCU we are trying to provide you with a brief guide to basic social media etiquette.

General Social Media Tips:

  • Be mindful of what you write. The internet is like writing in ink and signing your name to it, yes you can delete things but they never truly go away.
  • Basic grammar & punctuation. People don’t expect Leaving Cert. Honours English posting but nobody ‘lkes wen u type lke dis hun’. Leave it on Bebo where it belongs.
  • Abusing caps lock. THERE IS NO NEED TO SHOUT.
  • Beware of oversharing. Yes, your online profiles should be somewhat personal. However, it is important to remember they are not your diary entries, have a filter. A little mystery goes a long way.
  • Spoilers- Thanks to online watching of TV and DVR etc. not everyone is completely up to date with their TV shows don’t be responsible for ruining a beloved show or season finale by posting mayor spoilers. It is terrible karma!
  • Anti-social behaviour- Have you ever been to dinner where all the people present are simultaneously on Facebook or Twitter on their phones? Don’t allow your social media habits to get in the way of your face to face social time. A great way of ensuring some social behaviour is by placing all phones, upside in the middle of the table, the first person to crack and look at their phone has to buy a round or pay for dinner.
  • Selfies- We all know you’re gorgeous but unless you are 15 year old girl there is no need to constantly document your fabulousness every minute of every day. Selfies can be hilarious but try not to over kill them.
  • We all know that a couple of drinks can loosen the tongue up big time so imagine what damage can be done with a few vodkas, the internet & a keyboard. Serious case of the Fear the next day. While you may be able to play the ‘I don’t remember’ card about something you said, if it is plastered all over the internet you don’t have the same luxury.

Don’ts on Facebook:

  • Ambiguous/attention seeking statuses, for example just posting ‘L’ or ‘</3’. If you’re upset and want to talk that is fine but chat to someone in private mail, text or call them. Changing your relationship status to ‘it’s complicated’ is also a no.
  • Stop inviting everyone to play the game you are currently obsessed with, people will not appreciate it. Farmville is a distant memory these days.
  • Constantly checking-in – If you’re at the Taj Mahal and want to check-in go for it but if you’re in your kitchen there really is no need.
  • Uploading every picture you have ever taken. Facebook pictures are great but we don’t need to see an entire album dedicated to food pictures. Be watchful of tagging people in unflattering photos, funnily enough people don’t like it. That isn’t saying you need to airbrush everything left, right & centre but uploading the angle where someone has 5 chins is just mean.
  • Excessive bragging about your life and how great it is
  • If you’re part of a Facebook group, first & foremost ensure it is set to private if you are going to be sharing personal information. Try not to get dragged into any passive aggressive online behaviour.

Don’ts of Twitter:

  • Beg for follows or retweets constantly- Would you follow someone down the street begging them to follow you back?…Well, hopefully you wouldn’t!
  • Clogging up peoples’ feed.
  • Hashtag overload – #loveit #bestinventionever #cantgetenough #addict #everythingisahashtag #seehowthisgetsannoying?
  • Cryptic tweets
  • Complaining incessantly- Cheer up, it could be a lot worst
  • Don’t be mean or snide. Tweet how you’d like to be tweeted
  • Steal tweets- There is a retweet button for a reason, credit where credit is due.
  • Get overly emotional in a debate. When logic & reason start to go out the window it is time to log off and take a break.

If you have any tips for us here at SMART DCU we’d love to hear them. Feel free to let us know your social media behavioural likes & dislikes.


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