12 Social Media Tips

The other day the news was busy reporting about how a favorite for the NFL first draft pick lost out because a video surfaced showing him smoking pot through a gas mask and bong.

Now I have to admit that I know nothing about the NFL or the draft other than the movie Draft Day with Kevin Costner which was a great movie (of course, I like Kevin Costner in pretty much anything).

I do know that this was such a wasted opportunity by someone who had some talent.

I believe that all teachers need to start warning students as young as elementary school about their online presence. They may thing that their actions won’t affect their future but it will!

Here are some things that I think all students need to know:

1.     Your negative actions on social media may be dug out of space and come back to bite you in the butt! You may think you deleted things but don’t count on it. Maybe someone saved it for later use or saved it to show someone and it is there somewhere in space just waiting to ruin you.

2.     Great practice to follow if that if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all.

3.     Don’t judge others and share your opinions on social media. You may change your opinion later on, but first impressions stick in people’s minds.

4.     Don’t share anything you do that might be illegal, or seen as illegal! (Don’t come back later and just say you were joking around. That doesn’t really impress people either!)

5.     Future employers look at your social media to determine what kind of character you have. Show them you have integrity through your actions!

6.     Future employers may look at your social media presence as far back as when you first started. Don’t think that things happened in the past don’t matter. They do.

7.     Don’t show off on social media. It isn’t cute there or in real life either.

8.     Be nice to people. That goes a long way on social media and in real life.

9.     Don’t blame others for whatever is going on in your life. Be responsible for yourself.

10.  Avoid profanity on social media. It isn’t professional and most people in your personal life honestly don’t care for it either but won’t tell you.

11.  Have a positive presence online. People will respect you for it.

12.  Don’t post anything anywhere that your mother would be embarrassed about if she saw it.

Do you have any other tips? Please share.