Nowadays pretty much everything we do can be discovered on-line Whether it is what we are up to or what we are thinking via Twitter & Facebook or what we are cooking & crafting via Pinterest. Not forgetting documenting our lives on Instagram and of course… blogs!
Sometimes though, I do have to stop and think, what is the etiquette of social media? How much do we should we be sharing?
About a year ago I deactivated my Facebook account. I had just got to the point where I was sick of it. I wasn’t bothered about how many poo’s someone’s child had done in the potty (yes, seriously), nor did I care about what some were eating for dinner (status update AND pictures don’t ya know) or how they were being treated by their boyfriend and constantly sharing depressing song lyric statuses or slit-your-wrist YouTube videos. The list goes on…
Firstly, how well do I even know the people that are sharing things like that? And second, I DON’T need to know what. One ‘friend’ was posting bruises she had gotten from her spouse. I know that must be a horrificly awful situation but I don’t think they should be something that should be shared on social media, should they? Maybe I’m just naive but if she was obviously not too shy to share them on Facebook, then she shouldn’t be too shy to share them with the police. As they, other than her close immediate family, should be the only people that see them, surely?
I recently created a new Facebook account to link with my blog Facebook page so I was able to add only selected people as my ‘friends’. I think that has definitely helped with the over-sharing. If I only have people that are closer friends, rather than acquaintances, I don’t find it super awkward when I am finding things out about people that I hardly know.
I also think that one of the etiquette rules is knowing where you are. I guess Facebook is a little bit more private (but who actually knows these days with the changing settings) so people may feel they can share a bit more on there, rather than say, Twitter, that as we know, is VERY public.
Equally though, I ‘d be interested to know how many people don’t even think about what they share. I recently saw one of my friends teenage daughters put her number out on Twitter (her account isn’t private). I asked her if she know, that in theory, anyone in the world could see it and call her and she said she just hadn’t really thought about it. I know that could be true for a lot of people – they just hadn’t realised…
But what do you guys think? How much is too much? Or do you share everything and don’t mind? Answers on a postcard…
I completely agree! I cringe at the ‘over-sharing’ that occurs! I love facebook to keep in touch with people who live far away but hate it for the mundane and inappropropriate status updates with photos! Thanks for speaking out my friend!
Thanks Alex, I completely agree. Too much information people!
National Memory Screening DayFree, confidential memroy screenings for anyone concerned about memroy loss and early Alzheimer’s disease detection and intervention, sponsored by Visiting Angels in cooperation with the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America.WHEN:Tuesday November 13 2012Noon 4pmWHERE:Avalon Missionary Church. 1212 Lower Huntington Rd. Fort Wayne IN 46819INFO:National Memory Screening Day is an annual initiative of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA). Visiting Angels is proud to be a partner in this important first step in finding out if someone has a memroy problem, and in helping patients and families become aware of the resources and assistance that is available.While a memroy screening is not a substitute for a consultation with a physician, it can help to determine whether additional testing is warranted. With as many as 5.1 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease, and many more with mild cognitive impairment and dementia, early detection and intervention can be critical to making informed decisions for greater health and quality of life.For more information on memroy screening and resources to assist with ageing in place, cognitive impairment, mild dementia, or Alzheimer’s disease, contact Visiting Angels at 260-482-CARE (2273).
Totally agree on this, i for one know that on some sites such as Instagram i probably overshare with photos but seeing every breakdown and argument on facebook is step too far!
I deleted a number of people due to this, i think alot of people don’t think before posting opinions/thoughts of who they have on facebook who can read these. e,.g one i deleted was purely due to negative comments around their children and pregnancy and i knew we both shared a number of “friends” where said comments would be a sore point to have to read.
Facebook as well as many social sites are great to keep in touch especially given the continued normality of having family/friends across the globe. The old saying of “think before you speak” is ever so important!!
So true, thanks Sara. Its great that you can ‘hide’ some peoples comments. Some people have nor shame!
I agree! I know, people use Facebook for all sorts of reasons but I use it to share my blog mainly. Why do people feel the need to share everything? The way Facebook is going though I doubt things will be ‘private’ for much longer anyway…