10 Things You Should Know about Social Media

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.