Social Media Etiquette

With the growing popularity of social networking sights like Facebook and Twitter - has the telephone become redundant? Why would you make a phone call to invite a few friends to dinner when you can post an update on your Facebook - saving you time, and the cost of the calls? We are now learning to communicate on a wholly different level to what we're used to and the rules of social networking have not yet been set in stone.

This got me thinking about what is acceptable behavior in social media. We all remember when SMS became popular and the old 'text breakup' was the ultimate in rejection. It seemed that not calling was better than "lets hve a brk ?" but since then text has pretty much morphed into an acceptable form of communication.

With online social networking being so new, the rules are a bit blurry. So what is and isn't acceptable? Here are just a few random observations I've made;

First of all - having a fight with someone on a status update is a big no. You know the one, where someone advises that they're upset, or insinuates another person in their unhappiness, and then that other person goes in for the kill to defend themselves. Whilst it's generally entertaining for the rest of us - it's also 'web-awkward' - in that you don't know whether to discuss said update with the person the next time you see them or, even worse, you commented on the update before the shit-fight started and are now inadvertently part of it.

Advising your family and friends of massive life changes on Facebook or Twitter is not kosher. Something like "mully just booked a three week trip to hawaii for next month!" is absolutely fine, whereas "mully will no longer be female as of next week - anyone up for a hospital run?" is not fine. Notifications like the latter might be acceptable for acquaintances, but close friends and family might need a phone call.

The next social networking faux pa is excessive introspection. No one needs to know every tiny little detail of your complex psyche. Of course, there's a fine line with this one - something like "mully wonders why humans are so shitty" is seemingly acceptable right? - but a series of updates following it containing details of said confusion and insinuations of depression at said lack of faith in humanity is boooooring. Phone a friend.

On the flip-side of this one is the "my life is f#cking awesome and you are so jealous" update. Whilst it's generally heart-warming to know your friends are doing well and are blissfully happy - after 17 updates in a row stating wealth, health and happiness - even the best of us have the potential to crumble into green-eyed-monsters.

Mind you, a bit of self-reflection and bragging is completely wonderful and interesting - but there's a fine line.

Then there's the profile pic. The semi-naked, suggestive pose is not acceptable under any circumstance - save those ones for Picture magazine. A good gauge of what is acceptable is considering whether your grandmother would be happy to put the picture on her bedside table (assuming her cataracts aren't too advanced).

And whilst we're on the topic of pics - it's not generally kosher to put a picture of yourself with someone else's partner as your profile. Unless you know the partner, and know that they're fine with it - leave that shit alone, lest you have a psychotic girlfriend/boyfriend stalk you and tear out your vital organs.

Posting pictures where you look fantastic but the other person looks like a troll is almost acceptable. But do you tag them? By tagging them it means that whenever they request 'friend' status with someone, that someone can see the horrific pictures. If someone tags you in a picture you don't like, you can un-tag yourself so it won't be linked to your profile ... but it will still be out there ... in infinite cyberspace. On the other hand, tagging them might be doing them a favour in that they're at least aware that the picture is out there ... somewhere.

You see, even in trying to outline some basic rules there are snags. That all being said, if an update is funny, it's generally forgiven all of the above.

So what do you think? Do you disagree? What do you love/hate about social media?

* please note, it could be the Gen X in me that makes me overly cautious about this newfangled "social" internet (- and of assuming people are interested in me or want to be my friend).
After all, we have been called the generation of underachievers - wink.