QUEZON City, Philippines (November 11) – A lot of people are into social media such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Why not? Such sites have proven to be the best way to communicate with friends and family. Also, they proved to be the easiest way to keep updated on trending topics. They’re so convenient, one often forgets to use them responsibly. And in this day and age, one should be a responsible social media user.
With the touch of a screen, the click of a mouse, we can interact with somebody from a different country, stream live footage to relatives, or delight our friends with pictures and statuses. We live in a technologically-advanced society, with everything accessible to us. Anybody with opposable thumbs can record, communicate, and stream pretty much anything.
Being a responsible social media user starts from childhood.
Kids nowadays grow up having access to social media. As such, they can be more savvy than adults. So it is the responsibility of parents and guardians to teach them how to use social media properly. They should guide their kids to develop sound judgment and use social media securely.
Of course, everyone should be mindful of the things that we post online. One of the big no-no’s is to post your daily routine. Those with bad intentions can easily make use of such intimate information.
Another social media abuse is cyberbullying. A lot of social media user are cyberbullied because of the information that they posted online.
Cyberbullying is a form of harassment that occurs in the web. On Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or some other online networking outlet, it requires just a little push to badger somebody.
That’s the reason why every accounts we have in any social networking site should be safe and private.
Here are some tips from Sheffiled Hallam University everyone should follow,
Make sure you don’t
- use social media to complain or vent frustrations
- share personal pictures or information that will reflect badly on you
- announce when you’re on holiday (and leaving your home empty)
- express concerns about others, even if you think you are anonymous
- connect with people you don’t personally know, or at least without there being a purpose for the connection
- forget to log out of shared machines
We should all be responsible social media users. Derisive comments ought to never discover their way into spots that were made to be valuable wellsprings of data and fun leisure activities. Everyone, think before you click.
(written by Angelica H. Ernie, edited Jay Paul Carlos, additional research by Vince Alvin Villarin)
