We live it, we breathe it, but do we really know how to use it? While being carefree and quick about the content we post on our Facebook profiles is easy, it may not be our best bet. Despite the number of privacy settings Facebook provides to us, you can never know who exactly is looking at your page. In many cases, acting sloppy on Facebook can jeopardize many opportunities: a potential career, a future boyfriend, or even your own personal safety.
This doesn’t mean that being an avid Facebook user is a bad thing! In fact, it can be a great tool for Collegiettes™ to network with important people, or stay in touch with distant family members and friends. We simply need a lesson in “Facebook etiquette” that will allow us to post knowledgably while still enjoying the social networking world. Follow these “dos & don’ts” of Facebook protocol, and you will never be a Facebook abuser again!
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DO keep tabs on what photos you are tagged in. While we used to have to ask our friends for copies of photos, now we are able to see them as soon as we are tagged in them on Facebook. As amazing as this is, we must remember that many other people can see them too. Take the time to check out the pictures you are tagged in, and make sure that they represent you in a way of which your grandmother (or at least your mother) would approve.
DON’T post and tag photos of friends that you know they won’t like. It sounds obvious, but it happens all the time. You may look good in a photo, but if your friend was in the process of sneezing while it was being taken, she may not appreciate it as much. Be mindful of this, and avoid embarrassing others. Being respectful of your friends will demonstrate your maturity and ability to value others.
DO post photos of you and your friends. After all, this is what the photo sharing option is for! By allowing others to see you with a group, you are representing yourself as a social and happy person. Also, it allows those family members or friends who are distant from you to see that you are doing well and having fun.
DON’T post photos of you, your friends and your drinks. This is especially true if you are underage. If you are under 21, simply posting photos of yourself with a beer in your hand can get you fired from your job, kicked out of a club or team, etc. Even those over the legal age should refrain from posting photos that show any evidence of excessive drinking. Someonewill be talking about your drunken photos, and you don’t want that information to reach the wrong person.
DO update your status frequently and mindfully. Facebook statuses are a great way to share news that is important to you with many people at one time. If you have something exciting or interesting to share, chances are your friends want to hear about it! Update your status as frequently as you see necessary to express the things that are important to you. It will tell a lot about your personality and understanding of the world.
DON’T update your status with the first thing that pops into your head. Too many people take the “What’s on your mind?” prompt too literally. Sometimes, things get in the way of our ability to choose our statuses wisely, be it emotions, alcohol, or plain carelessness. Ignore the urge to use Facebook as your venting buddy, and confide in a close friend instead.
DO use the messaging system to send personal messages. The ability to send someone a message on Facebook has become a wonderful tool for reaching your friends individually, as many users will admit to checking their Facebook more than their email accounts. Messaging on Facebook allows you to exchange information or talk easily to one or a few people at a time when matters get a little too personal.
DON’T use your status or wall for confrontation. Statuses or wall posts that negatively target one person, whether anonymously or not, are never going to solve anything. In fact, they are more likely to get you into deeper trouble. By making your personal problems visible to everyone, you are portraying yourself immature and unable to control what you say about others. Keep your profile clean and solve your issues privately instead.
DO choose profile pictures that share your sense of style. It is important that you have a profile picture that shows a side of yourself that you think looks good. This photo is the first thing people will see when they come to your page, so it is similar to making a first impression on someone in real life. It is a great way to show a visual of what makes you unique as a person.
DON’T choose profile pictures that share…well, too much. On the other hand, your profile picture should NOT be of you doing a sexy pose in your string bikini at PCB last spring break. You need to be aware that your Facebook page has a much broader audience than your male, college friends. Again, this photo is generally the first thing someone will see on your page. Say a prospective employer decides to check up on your Facebook before making a final decision about who to hire. That photo is probably not going to seem quite as fun anymore.
All in all, Facebook should be a fun and effective tool for expressing yourself. Still, remembering and adhering to these guidelines will allow you to do just that in a safer and classier way.