Let’s face it – there is no escaping social media. If you have a cell phone with an internet connection, chances are that you are subscribed to at least one social media platform. It is a great way of communicating with old friends, stalking a crush or just mindlessly scrolling through random content whilst trying to forget how rude Susan was to you for no reason whatsoever at the water cooler. What did you do to her anyway? Does she even know… Okay, back to scrolling…
As mind-numbingly fun as social media can be, there will always be at least one person on your timeline that will annoy you with certain posts, or even anger an entire nation, because their fingers work faster than their brains. Matthew Theunissen, Penny Sparrow, Gareth Cliff, Jessica Leandra and Tshidi Thamana are among the more famous names that have received immense media attention, but there are numerous cases that have managed to fly under the radar. A temper tantrum can land you in hot water, ladies and gentleman. Luckily for you, however, you have The Social Dynamic team to guide you in your quest to be a better (and less annoying) social media poster.
In the wake of the recent Matthew Theunissen racist Facebook post saga, we have compiled a simple list of DOs and DON’Ts to help you gauge whether or not you will annoy people, make people laugh with (or at) you or just straight up offend absolutely everybody and possibly end up in court.
- DO NOT make racial or cultural slurs on social media, or anywhere for that matter. Not only is it illegal and punishable by law (go read up on crimen injuria), it is unnecessary, disgusting and has absolutely no place in this country or in this world. *Cue Michael Jackson’s “We Are The World”*
- DO NOT steal posts and pass them off as your own. Bro, I posted that last week. I know what I wrote. Changing “the” to “that” does not absolve you of being guilty of plagiarism. Stop it.
- DO NOT post selfies that were taken in the same place that you poo. That is disgusting. By all means, take the pictures for your own private collection if that’s what you are into, just please don’t post them at 6pm on a Wednesday. I’m trying to eat here.
- DO NOT over share. Nobody wants to know what you’ve had for every meal of every day. You’re making me scroll quickly past someone who is posting a meal that they are extremely proud of whilst making a disgusting “ugh” sound, all because you posted your Pronutro with bananas using the hashtag #breakfastofchampions everyday for the past month. Come on, man. Stop that. Oh, yes, I’m aware that you went to the gym today. Thanks for reminding me. Again.
- DO NOT start a post with “That moment when…” or, better still, “That awkward moment when…” or end them with “I literally can’t even!” unless, of course, you’re trying to lose followers. In that case, go right ahead. You can’t even what? That’s not a complete sentence! WHAT CAN’T YOU EVEN?
- DO be big enough to engage with your followers when they reply to you after you’ve started a debate. Don’t be “debate bait” (copyright, The Social Dynamic) for notifications. Not cool.
- DO your research when commenting on a trending topic. Learn both sides of the story before choosing one. If you’re guilty choosing a side before researching, you can’t just switch. We see you.
- DO keep private information and matters offline. Divorce, for example, is not a spectator sport.
- DO let your followers know what interests YOU, even if it doesn’t garner likes or comments. The fact that nobody gives a crap about your cactus collection shouldn’t be your problem. That being said, if your interests include “the history of the KKK” or “fun facts about Hitler”, I’d suggest you keep that to yourself.
- DO consider the potential consequences of your post. One moment you’re angry and letting off steam, the next you’re in front of the magistrate trying to figure out what happened to you.
So there you have it folks – The Social Dynamic’s guide to responsible posting on social media. Consider this our community service for 2016. Don’t be a statistic, post responsibly – you no longer have an excuse not to!
