Before posting or sharing 🛑
Not everything belongs on the Internet or social media. Before posting or sharing something online, it’s always a good idea to ask yourself a few questions.
Who will be able to read what you post? 🤔
What are you posting and to whom? On Facebook, you have lots of friends, who have friends, who have friends… When you write something on someone’s wall, all their contacts can see it, copy it, and share it. Before posting, imagine that the whole world can see what you’re writing. Are you ready for that? Would you really share this info with everyone? And that’s not even counting the advertisers and other businesses that have access to what we share!
How will you be seen? 😳
On social media, we share information and other people receive it and interpret it. When you post a status update, you’re giving a certain image of yourself to other people. Think about the image you’re projecting. If you always post to denounce something when you’re angry 😡 you risk looking like a frustrated person. Your true friends may know that that’s not the real you… but people who don’t know you as well have no idea!
What’s the worst thing that could happen? 🤕
If you post something, it’s likely to make the rounds. Do you feel comfortable when you think about that? Even if you know all your social media friends, you don’t know their friends! Who’s looking over your friend’s shoulder when he/she’s looking at your post? Does he/she have a nosy big brother who likes to spy on his/her accounts? Before sharing, ask yourself:
- Could someone use this information to hurt me? 😈
- Would I be angry if someone shared this information with other people? ↪️
- What’s the worst thing that could happen if I share? 🙀
Have you thought about other people?
Before posting something you got from someone else, ask that person if he/she agrees. The same thing if you share photos or videos that show other people: ask their permission to post, tag, or share them. Maybe your friend doesn’t really like the way he/she looks in a photo or doesn’t want the whole world to know that the two of you went to see a particular movie. Before sharing, ask yourself:
- Is the person who sent this content okay with my sharing?
- Did he/she get permission from the person or people it shows?
- If it was me, would I be happy if someone shared this information? Is the content beneficial for the person? If it could embarrass or hurt them, don’t post!
To sum up, before posting or sharing, think carefully! If you aren’t sure, wait a bit and take more time to think about it.
Is it really a good idea to post this?
On social media, it’s better to avoid posting something when you’re feeling emotional. If you feel sad ☹️, angry 😡 or even very happy 😎 and you want to shout it from the rooftops, STOP! Wait until you calm down: do you still want to post the information? Ultimately, is it really a good idea? ⚖️
How will you be seen? 😳
On social media, we share information and other people receive it and interpret it. When you post a status update, you’re giving a certain image of yourself to other people. Think about the image you’re projecting. If you always post to denounce something when you’re angry 😡 you risk looking like a frustrated person. Your true friends may know that that’s not the real you… but people who don’t know you as well have no idea!
What’s the worst thing that could happen? 🤕
If you post something, it’s likely to make the rounds. Do you feel comfortable when you think about that? Even if you know all your social media friends, you don’t know their friends! Who’s looking over your friend’s shoulder when he/she’s looking at your post? Does he/she have a nosy big brother who likes to spy on his/her accounts? Before sharing, ask yourself:
- Could someone use this information to hurt me? 😈
- Would I be angry if someone shared this information with other people? ↪️
- What’s the worst thing that could happen if I share? 🙀
Have you thought about other people?
Before posting something you got from someone else, ask that person if he/she agrees. The same thing if you share photos or videos that show other people: ask their permission to post, tag, or share them. Maybe your friend doesn’t really like the way he/she looks in a photo or doesn’t want the whole world to know that the two of you went to see a particular movie. Before sharing, ask yourself:
- Is the person who sent this content okay with my sharing?
- Did he/she get permission from the person or people it shows?
- If it was me, would I be happy if someone shared this information? Is the content beneficial for the person? If it could embarrass or hurt them, don’t post!
To sum up, before posting or sharing, think carefully! If you aren’t sure, wait a bit and take more time to think about it.