I entered the social media world the summer before my ninth grade year, so roughly eight and a half years ago. Social media has changed a lot since then, such as Facebook removing the required "Jeanie is..." portion of the status or Instagram prohibiting the ability to make custom locations (still bitter, by the way).
Each of us have an individual perception of what social media is and how it should be used because we all have different experiences. Some of you have no idea what custom locations are, nor understand why I am bitter that they cease to exist now. Some of you are too young to have even had Facebook when it forced you to post a status in the third person.
However, I think there are some aspects of social media that have not changed and that majority of us can agree on: rules.
They're rules that aren't actually punishable. They aren't mandatory. However, they are valid and oftentimes have consequences.
Facebook is not a blog, nor a diary.
When Mark Zuckerburg originally created this multi-billion dollar company, I'm pretty sure the last things on earth he expected to read were diary entries about cheating boyfriends and lazy husbands or soapboxes about breastfeeding pictures being all-natural and therefore modest. If I wanted to read a post longer than a postcard on my News Feed, I would scroll through my Wordpress.
Instagram is not a Facebook album.
I get it. You went to an awesome social gathering or royal wedding and took a couple hundred pictures of yourself with each person there. I hate to break the news to you, but you look the same in every picture, so no need to post a dozen in a row. Just a couple (two), or a few (three) maximum. Preferably just one post a day, but double-posting has its valid moments. Breaking rules has consequences, people. Consequences of posting enough pictures for a photo album include scrolling past all of your pictures and one less follower looming in your future.
Selfies are only acceptable sometimes.
Selfies and Bible Verse: No, that's weird.
Selfies and "about my day" caption: please don't. Just tell me about your day without the picture.
Selfies and no caption: Um, I didn't forget what you looked like the last time you posted a selfie.
Selfies and whole body: You could, instead, take a picture of you standing.
When are selfies acceptable, you ask? After haircuts or removal of braces, with other people, or in front of a photo-worthy structure.
Captions are everything.
It should be funny or sentimental. I'd rather it not be a sentence stating the obvious. Many times the shorter, the better. Non-cliché inspirational quotes are always welcome (keyword: non-cliché). Puns are a crowd favorite. Pairing a caption with the perfect picture is a recipe for a widely accepted social media post.
The First Amendment.
I know, there's this thing called "freedom of speech" but I think live breastfeeding mama pictures and your entire Plexus testimony each week is overstepping your right. Selfies of your face up close and personal on my computer screen every couple days just isn't exactly courteous of your fellow followers.
Breastfeeding is great; I plan on doing it when I have children, however I want to keep that experience between my child and myself. Plexus is also another great thing—I know this because I've tried it—but social media doesn't need to involuntarily know each time I use it.
All I ask is for you to be cognizant of the people who you want to view your social media posts, who are viewing your posts.. Be mindful of the message you are sending about yourself with each post. Give your followers something they can relate to, be interested in, and want to continue following.
