How to not lose friends on Social Media

Your social media account is your own space – I agree to that. But just like your life is yours to live how you want, you still need to consider the impact of your own action to the people around you. If I don’t believe in deodorants as a person, I would still think twice about imposing my body odor on my friends and colleagues at work (just an example).  Compromise is the secret to harmonious living.

Unfollow or Unfriend?

Here are the top 3 things people do that turn me off and make me want to click that “Unfollow” button:

  • Too much politics. Hey, if you’re so concerned about how the country is run, please run for office, or work for the government. Do something that actually helps – posting your agreement or disagreement on FB every single day, reacting to every single thing the government does – may help you relieve yourself of stress or disappointment, but you’re just passing that on to your followers. It’s a vicious cycle that never ends, especially when you’re posting not to educate, but to prove a point (or to prove that those who disagree with you are wrong). There’s no right or wrong in politics, we will always favor what is convenient to us. Period!
  • Look at me, I’m living the good life. Before you post anything – ask yourself why you need to post it. If it’s to share your happiness, or document a memory, go ahead. But if it’s just for show – to show people you are living a good life, you don’t really need to do that. What sets the truly rich from those who want to be called rich is that need for attention and validation. If you really, really want to show off – at least make that photo creative, or use a caption that doesn’t talk about you or what you’re doing.
  • Wittybunny, unwitty you. I’ve talked about this on Facebook before. While it may seem like harmless fun, using services such as Wittybunny collects information about you AND your friends. You may be fine with that, but are your friends OK with having their information taken? Wonder why the results seem so accurate? It’s not really that difficult to analyze based on your previous posts and activities. Read the privacy policy carefully before you allow any third-party application to access your Facebook information. A lot of them do not have security measures as strong as Facebook itself.

Again, these are just my opinion. I can’t say I haven’t done any of these. I’m not trying to be preachy.  It’s your account and you’re free to do whatever you want with it. The worst thing that can happen is that someone who doesn’t like what you’re posting will unfollow/unfriend you. It doesn’t mean you will become enemies in real life. Social media is a respite for most of us who are dealing with stress in real life. When social media adds up to that stress, I click unfollow!

What about you?

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