By Femi Akinpelu Joseph
The social media, which includes ( Facebook, Twitter, BBM,
Whatsapp, Instagram, Google+, etc), has no doubt become the most vibrant and
fastest platform for communication in modern times.
Individual,
groups, corporate companies and even business organizations, all have adopted
the social media as a veritable tool, in selling their image, products and
services.
However,
there are important things that people should know about the use of the social
media as highlighted below:
1. It’s not for idle
interaction, it’s rather a learning tool.
The social media should not be used for non profitable and lazy conversations,
as it is usually the practice with many users (especially the youth bracket),
rather it should be seen and used as a medium to learn and gain more knowledge
and get vital information.
2. Offers opportunity to be a
global citizen
With
the use of the social media, every user has got the opportunity to reach other
people in all parts of the world, just in a click. You can share and also
receive information on latest developments globally, and again make your inputs
suggest the ways forward on different burning issues rocking the world society,
because the world, as is it said has become a “global village”. By so doing,
you have made yourself an active citizen of the globe.
3. It is a work tool
The
social media, again, serves as a very important work tool for people of all
professions. You can easily reach out to more number of clients or customers at
a time, through the social media platforms. By this doing disseminating
important information about one’s business is more enhanced. It also encourages
quick feedbacks, which in turn enables fast decision making and necessary
changes for effective service delivery.
4. Be careful what you share on
Social Media
You should be careful that you don’t do over-sharing and watch the contents of
what you share on-line because you can be googled. Your name could be
researched for, and everything that you have posted and shared on-line will
come out. Your image will definitely be at stake, as the negative things that
you have shared may give a wrong view or impression about your personality.
5. Spend quality time on-line
(determine what you are going to do)
As
a social media user, you need to set out goals on what to do every time that
you go on-line. You should spend doing quality work and not just see everything
you find available on-line necessary for you to engage in. Do what you have to
do and save your time to doing other profitable things. As it is said, “time is
money”, so don’t spend your time dwelling on things that will not add much to
you.
6. Your on-line preference should
be things that matter to you
You
need to know from the on-set the things that will add value to you, and enhance
your life in the long run, and those are the things that should be your
preference. Don’t engage yourself in every social media activity just because
other people are there. Have a scale for the things you are looking for and
know the ones you ignore, as this will help you to focus on only things
(contents) that are useful to you.
7. You don’t need to be on all
social media
It
is actually not a must to be on all social media platform. You, as an
individual person needs to choose the ones (social media platform) that will be
most useful and convenient for you. If possible, delete some of those accounts
(in case you are on all social media). This will help you to avoid unnecessary
distractions.
8. There are many fraudsters
on-line; you need to be careful about the kind of response to others.
You
may need to know that fraudsters have also devised easier ways of carrying out
their dubious activities, through the social media. They send fraudulent
messages to people at random, and at different times. These fraudsters really
do take advantage of careless and unsuspecting users, who reply them without
taking their time to make enquiries and find out whom really they are chatting
with, before striking a business deal with them. Many people, as a result, have
ended up as victims. So once you are not sure about the identity of the person
who has sent you a message, don’t reply!
9. The username you use on
social media is very important
Know
that the name you use on the social media is as good as the opportunities and
offers that will come your ways. It also makes it easier for people searching
for you to easily locate you when you use your real name. Again, you tend to be
taken more serious by an intending business partner or prospective employer
when they find out your on-line name to be the same as your real name. Just
imagine how such people will feel if, for example your name is John Kola, and
your facebook name is Jk- boy; you will not be taken seriously. By this point
serious opportunities may be forfeited.
10. Don’t abuse the use of
social media
It
becomes an abuse of the social media if you just decide to share anything that
comes your way, and comes to your mind (whether legal or not legal), without
considering the moral value and effect of what you have shared.
For
example, sharing of obscene pictures on –line, posting derogatory words or
statements about people (especially popular people), and sharing unconfirmed
rumours or news about individual or group of persons, or even organizations.
All these are abusive ways of the social media use, and it could have a
detrimental consequence on your personality.
