4 Best Social Media Etiquettes You Need to Know About

Let’s all be honest about how much time we spend scrolling through social media minding everyone’s business. While some of us may have more boundaries than others, the reality is that we are all somewhat curious about other people’s lives. Before you come here claiming to only have social media as a tool to stay connected with the people you care about, consider assessing why you choose to lie to yourself or attempt to lie on my platform. We are curious beings who like to feel valuable in other people’s lives and social media has given us that false sense of belonging. Some of us are genuinely liking posts, others are fake liking, or just prying and regardless of why you scroll, it’s important to have some etiquettes on social media. Here’s 4 of mine and I would love to hear yours in the comments section.

1. If you are scrolling and notice something that you disagree with, practice carrying on with your life without feeling the need to name-call. If you are constantly annoyed by a person, then perhaps blocking, unfollowing, and muting them might be beneficial. Some of us have been acting like the people whose lives we are engaging with are not worth respecting or valuing. It is possible to disagree with someone without degrading, disrespecting, or demeaning them. If that’s a skill you struggle with, by all means, practice keeping quiet because I promise you, insulting a person isn’t going to persuade them to see the world from your perspective. All it does is show that you lack manners and that your parents should have washed your mouth (or in this case your fingers) with soap because that’s just gross.

2. Before you like a post, make sure you agree with what it’s saying. A like is the equivalent of co-signing a thought, opinion, or perspective. This is how the pope was caught liking a bikini picture of a model. The rest of us were over here wondering what Pope Francis wanted to actually be doing in between his prayer and devotion time just because he (or whoever manages his account) didn’t think twice before pressing that like button. Not everything is for everyone and make sure that before you hit that like button, that you do in fact like or can stand behind the content you’re engaging with. If the answer is no and it offends you, refer to the first etiquette and carry on.

3. It’s not people’s jobs to support you. This is a hard truth to sit with especially if you are a content creator whose success sometimes depends on the support of your followers. If they like, comment, or share your content, that’s a beautiful thing. If they do not, let’s practice not shaming or throwing subliminal messages about how everyone is a hater who does not want you to succeed. It comes across very tacky and does not encourage people to actually follow or support you. Unless of course you are doing this as a creative or satirical strategy to keep people lingering longer on your page but even then, please don’t over do it. People are logging in to have fun, laugh, or be nosey so please don’t make them feel like this is their 9-5. This is particularly important when you have people you know in your personal life as followers on social media. Your relationship with them off social media should be more important than harassing them for a like and comment. Now with all that said, if y’all don’t like or comment on this post, I swear you’re all going to hell.

4. Last but not least, since I am professionally petty but If you add me into your “close friends”, please share something scandalous enough for me to feel like my time wasn’t wasted. I’m talking about drug usage, pregnancy announcements, incriminating receipts of your cheating ex, secret lovers, or any criminal activity you wish to share. Please do not add me to a close friend only for you to share a cocktail you had or a poorly executed TikTok dance you’re too embarrassed to post. Please and thank you!

I’ll be the first to admit that I may have broken some of these rules once or twice but I am growing and becoming wiser so mind the business that pays you.

Reflection: Have you ever experienced any of these scenarios? What are your boundaries around engaging with others on social media?