Social media etiquette

Firstly, let me say I love technology. I love the internet, hell it's one of my oldest friends. The ability to communicate to anymore instantly, the gathering of an audience and the spread of word. But in my first ten years of using the internet, annonimity was not a thing. Yes, you stayed safe by not giving out personal information but there was a sense of moral obligation to do the right thing while online. 

Maybe I was just naive. I definitely was looking through the internet with a child's viewpoint. I mean I only started using it when I was about 8. But somehow, in the past few years I feel like a lot has changed in the moral obligation of the internet. It's become a madhouse with teens bullying each other, with crazy insensitive people and with just plain rude. I mean come on, you don't do/ say such thing in person, why the heck are you doing it online????

 I think bullying is one we're all familiar with. The number of suicides world wide that have stemmed from cyber bullying. The new thing I've noticed is people being really insensitive on social media! I've seen the person who memorialises a dear departed soul and the douche bag who comments on the status asking "babe, how he die la?". Somebody just shot this person!!! Then we can tell everyone they died of curiosity. Seriously, how is that sensitive. If you're such a good friend who deserves to know, pick up the phone, call them , express you're condolences and then enquire. Don't make it difficult for them!! 

Another thing is always about weight. I think it a sensitive enough topic for talking to in person but again, it goes nuts in social media. From the person going "you look so fat in that picture" to the person who advertises weight loss programs on a status/post that has nothing to do with weight loss, the person posting it and is completely irrelevant. I have a few words : wth is wrong with you????

I think, the same way we have social etiquette rules for eating an entree, we need social media etiquette rules. Here's my 5.

#1: THINK about what you're going to ask. Is it sensitive? Might you embarrass the person you're communicating with? Then it's time for you to use an email or private message. These tools exist for a reason. It is to be private. 

#2: Is what you're about to say hurtful? Even if you don't intend it to be hurtful, can it be hurtful? Yes? Then shut the hell up. Didn't anyone tell you that if you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all. Yeah, yeah? Follow it. Preach it. Do it. 

#3 : SPELL IT. Unless you're in the 90s trying to text with a limited 160 characters," r u ok? Luv u v much" spell it out. It takes two seconds more and is rather easy. ( although I'll exempt my dad from this. He got hip a while ago so I'll take it. Parents are allowed.)

#4 : Is it very personal? Are you trying to be mushy to someone? Do you want to share a thousand picture of your baby/ puppy/ your face? Please don't. People initially think it's fine and then it pisses everybody off and we're all just to polite to tell you that nothing you post is of interest. Just don't. 

#5 : Finally, just be a nice person. Spread the love. If you think it's bad to do it in person, don't do it online. It's a cowardice act.

Also, if you can't make great judgments in real live, just stay off the internet. It's not going to be great for you.