Category: Social Media

You know how much you love to log into Facebook, Twitter, or the recently launched Google+, to share information or update your status. Whichever way you like using your social platforms, it is important to learn the social graces of social media, which have become integral parts of our lives. Many people believe that they can do as they please with their social media accounts.it is not uncommon to hear someone say,” it is my account, and I can use it as I can see fit.”

This may be true to an extent but it is vital to understand that it is a social network meaning you are not using it alone. You have to be considerate of others, more so because online communication lacks tone and body language, which would normally help regulate face-to-face interaction. Social media guidelines are not engraved in a stone but generally agreed for better interaction on social media. They also cannot be exhausted here, as there exist many social platforms used differently. Below are a few common ones that may apply to social media that are frequently used.

Think before you Post

When in doubt whether or not to share something online it is better not to share it. The internet really has no delete button. In fact, the general rule of thumb is – if you would not say it in a normal conversation, do not say it on social media.be careful about what you say or share. You never know who sees it and how it may affect them. Also if you are commenting or responding to something someone has posted, ensure that your comments are meaningful and respectful, that there is no spam (irrelevant or inappropriate messages sent ion the internet to a large number of recipients) or remarks that are off-topic or offensive.

In addition, avoid responding to or initiating inflammatory messages. If you really feel the need to reply to one, do not do it immediately. Give yourself time to think and come up with an appropriate and objective response. In fact, it is best to send a private message, especially if your response is negative.

Avoiding giving TMI (Too Much Information)

Someone once lightly said that there was a thin line between “I should tweet that” and ” I should talk to my therapist about that” How many times have you or someone you know posted information considered too personal on Facebook or Twitter? Efrain from sharing such on social media. Private conversations should also be kept out. Use private inboxes, email or chat if you have to share information that is not for everyone’s eyes. Keep venting frustrations to a minimum. No one likes a complainer

In the same breath, do not put too much information on your profile. Avoid giving details about where you live or about your children if you have any, among their personal information, for your own safety. The internet is not private.

Photos

No one is really interested in seeing a photo of you drunk and passed out at a party. Avoid posting photos of yourself in compromising positions, suggestive photos of anything that may be deemed offensive by others. It paints you in a negative light. Also do not post photos or tag people in photos without their permission, especially if they are not close friends. Regarding photos, it’s always good to have a photo of yourself on your profile as people like to see who they are interacting with online. Most people do not like to speak to cartoons or company logos.

Avoid text speak

Do you get ticked off when someone writes “Cn wi tlk l8r n 2de?”Space limitation on social media platforms is not common enough to warrant one to write one in such a manner. Communicate clearly and in a way that can be understood.

It’s not all about you.

People get tired of people who talk about themselves constantly. Social media is for social networking. Interact with people. Start conversations, share information and comment on the information others share. People are willing to listen to and engage with those who do the same.

It takes special effort to evade social media these days. Initially seen as an interesting past time, this has now evolved to meet multiple professional and personal needs as well. As social media is becoming so indispensable to different aspects of lives, it correspondingly demands more and more of our time and energy. Keeping this in mind, it may help for us to be more aware of how helpful our social media usage is in terms of time and energy.

Some questions that may be helpful when evaluating how you use this medium are:

• What prompts me to use social media in different situations? (For instance, when looking for specific information, more out of habit, boredom, or to intentionally keep in touch with friends or family).
• When do I most use it the most? (It may help to think over situations when you are most tempted to access these sites/apps. For example, during meals, when travelling, during breaks at work, etc.)
• How do I feel after using it? This question is helpful for you to evaluate whether the time you spend on social media is a positive influence on you or not (For instance – relaxed, mentally stimulated, guilty for having wasted too much time).
• Are there particular sites/pages that leave me more motivated than others? What about these sites/pages leaves me feeling this way?

After reflecting on these points, you may have some clarity on what prompts you to use this media type, when this happens the most, and how helpful it is to you.

A few suggestions that may help you build on this learning are:

• Identify the apps/websites that meet your needs (for information, entertainment, etc.) and limit your usage of social media to these, as opposed to registering on multiple sites/apps and being overwhelmed or easily distracted by notifications from them all.
• Use your knowledge of how a particular app or page on an app influences you to plan when you use a particular type of social media. For instance, if you have the tendency to lose track of time on Facebook, try and use the site when you have large amounts of free time, such as a half an hour lunch break and not during a five-minute work break.
• You could also access pages of apps or profiles that inspire or motivate you during smaller intervals when you need a break and may be feeling tired or overworked.
• For the apps or sites that you have identified are more to break boredom, or tend to negatively influence you, try and schedule in other activities that you could do in that time instead. For instance, going for a quick walk around your office or neighbourhood when bored instead of checking social media.

These are a few suggestions on how you can become more aware of how your usage of social media influences you.

Social media

Social media is the combination of online communications channels committed to group-oriented input, communication, information sharing, and relationship. Various types of applications and websites which are devoted to social networks, blogging, forums, wikis and social bookmarking form the different types of social media. The most common types are Facebook, YouTube, Google+, WhatsApp, Twitter, QQ, WeChat, Qzone, OLX, Instagram, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Skype, Viber, Snapchat, Pinterest, MySpace, Meetme, Meetup, Mixi, Tout, Douban, Flickr, Buzznet, Wehearit, and Friendster These social websites have approximately 100,000,000 registered users. Although there are different types of social media they use many common features such as Consumers create service-oriented profiles for the website and applications that are planned, and upheld by the association. The user-created material, such as digital images, posts, videos, comments and data shared through online interfaces. All type of Social media is interactive internet applications which enable the growth of online social networks by linking a user’s profile with those of other persons or groups.

Users usually contact social media facilities via web-based tools on computers, or download services from internet applications to their cell phones, through these services, users can generate highly collaborating platforms through which persons, groups, and establishments can segment, co-create, debate, and revise user-created data or pre-built content displayed online. They present considerable and prevalent changes to communiqué between trades, establishments, societies, and personalities.It has modified the communication between the persons and large establishments. Researchers study these changes and new Technologies are being introduced as a result of these changes. It is different from the traditional print and electronic media in various aspects, such as grasp, customer, value, reach, occurrence, interaction, usage, nearness, and durability. Its channels operate in a dialogic mode of transmission whereas old-style media used monologic transmission mode.

Facebook is widely used in all the countries, 84 percent of young Americans are its user. Almost 60 percent teenagers have social media profiles, a majority of people spend a minimum of two hours daily on social networking sites and the time spend on these sites is greater than the time spent on another type of sites. The total time spent on social sites in the USA was 66 billion minutes in 2012 now it reached to 121 billion minutes. It has become a source of professional prospects and financial profits.

Social media has a lot of good and bad effects. It gives a chance of linkage with actual or virtual groups, and it is a real publicizing instrument for businesses, financiers, charitable establishments, as well as support groups, politicians, and administrations. Its substantial use is also proved as a cause of sadness, cyberbullying online persecution and wandering.

We cannot define social media by its aptitude to fetch people together, according to this description telegraph and telephone can be its types, Actually social media is typically used to pronounce social networking sites such as: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Snapchat, Instagram and Wechat permits their use to make their private Profiles to share ideas, images, videos, to talk with each other and update each other with the new things, events and happenings while doing their daily deeds and routine jobs.

Peculiarity of Social media-The Content Spread like Virus

Sometimes contents that are posted on social sites have likely to spread like a virus on social networks. The users will reshare the content posted by some other user to their social network, resulting in further sharing. Posts like North Korea Atomic Bomb Explosion, fast-breaking news like the news of Michel Jackson death have crashed down the internet servers as this news was rapidly shared and re-shared by the people who use social networking sites. This is the concept of spreading of a viral disease from one infected person to other persons. Some individuals, Groups, and Organizations use this Viral Spreading of a news as an effective way of Publicity.

Use of Cellular Applications

The usage of Mobile phone to access sites is a great factor in the popularity of these sites, Now it is more easy, private and cheap to use the social media than before, the Smartphone has made the internet a very “Handy” thing to use by the young generation. Now youngsters pass more time doing interactions on social media sites than to pass time on watching TV. Every type of sites can be reached easily with the help of the smartphone, contents can be added, shared, send, received, status updated voice and video calls can be made more easily without the use of desktop computers or laptops. Use of Wi-Fi technology has enabled to use an internet connection by the whole members of a family. All the family members can use the internet sites according to their own likes and dislikes, a flexibility of time and Privacy. The mobile applications like WhatsApp, Skype, are used widely to make video calls, YouTube is used to see videos, Facebook is used to share videos, images, texts and status updating by the mobile users. Mobile social media mentions the use of media on mobile phone sets such as smartphones. Mobile applications let the formation, interchange and spread of user-created content. Location and time sensitivity are the important factors to access the social media by mobile devices.

Business perspective

Location and Time sensitiveness gave mobile devices an edge on desktop computers in offering companies to expand their businesses by marketing and advertising by it. Mobile utensils can be used for investigation, communiqué, sales advancements or concessions, and affiliation growth programs.

E-Commerce

Social sites use sociable plans, creating stages that are equally helpful for users, industries, and the nets with the help of e-commerce, or online consumptions. The users post the remarks about a company’s product or service with their online friends and associates. The company profits because it gains awareness about how their product or service is regarded by customers. Applications such as Amazon.com and Pinterest influence a mounting tendency in the acceptance and approachability of e-commerce, or online consumptions.