6 Social Media Etiquettes I Religiously Follow

In real life, we observe rules of etiquette to make sure that we do people no harm. Or at least not intentionally. The same this applies in social media. Why do we need etiquette in social media when it’s just in cyberspace? That’s a good question. The answer is quite simple: by keeping the rules of etiquette in mind, you increase your chances of succeeding and avoid making a big fool out of yourself online.

Just how do you observe proper decorum in social media anyway? Let me give you a few tips:

Don’t be a bully. Nobody likes people who push other people around in real life, and the same thing goes on the web. You may be enjoying all the trash talk you’re doing, but you’re ruining the online experience for everybody else.

Sabotage never pays off. So you think your efforts aren’t doing so well. It doesn’t give you the right to take other people down with you. Making enemies won’t work towards your social media goals. It may give you 5 minutes of fame, but that’s about all you’re going to get from being hateful.

Cheaters never win. How many times have your parents and teachers told you this? They always say it because it’s true. Trying to cheat your way into getting ahead isn’t really rewarding. You’ll eventually get caught and get booted out of the game. I don’t think you want that.

Respect. Learn it and live it. It is important that you learn that diversity is ever present on the World Wide Web. You have to learn how to respect it by living with the fact that each individual and community is different from one another.

Be the first to give. Sometimes, the best way to get something back is to be the first to give. This holds especially true in social media where you’d have to show them what you’ve got by giving free content first because they give their loyalty and patronage back.

Own up to what you do. Being accountable for everything you say or do is important. But because people have the privilege of hiding behind a false identity, they act like their words and actions have no repercussion. Don’t be like those people. Always own up to every word or action that comes out from your online persona.

All these tips pretty much just add up to one thing – you have to play nice. You don’t really expect people to be nice to you if you’re not the same with them, do you?