I can recall my first encounter with Facebook very clearly. I was a Freshman in college at SUNY Brockport and a friend forced me to sign up for some site I had never heard of. This was in the Fall of 2006. What I didn't know is that it would grow into this massively popular site that connects people, distracts people, and gets people into a great deal of trouble.
I have been using Facebook since my friend talked me into signing up. Until recently, I have only used it for socializing. I have played games and commented on statuses for as long as I've been on Facebook. Honestly I look back and think of all the time I wasted on it while at SUNY Brockport and wish I would have done more with my time.
Recently, I started a blog with a friend of mine (tonyandmike.blogspot.com). We have decided to use Facebook as an avenue to generate popularity. In our first two weeks, we topped 500 pageviews. This is largely due to the fact that news travels fast on Facebook, and everyone can see what we post. The support has been great and has fueled us to continue to put out quality material for others to read.
There are many ways to use Facebook outside of the ways that I have. One way would be to gain recognition as a business. Having a Facebook presence can make a busniess easier to find, seem more legitmate, and simply appear to keep up with the times. Of course, having a bad Facebook page that is not frequently updated can have a negative impact. If it looks like the business doesn't care to stay up to date, the potential customer might think the business is lazy in its proceedings.
Another way to utilize Facebook that I have seen quite often but never done myself is to maintain relationships. By that I mean intimate relationships rather than friendships. Many people have used Facebook to keep in touch with family overseas either by war or by travel. This makes it much easier families to deal with whatever the circumstances are.
A third way to use Facebook would be to ask for advice. I have seen so many posts from people asking one another for help with a given problem. People ask for advice on cars, advice on relationships, advice on what phone to buy; you name it and it has probably been discussed on Facebook. This is also a way to give the person dealing with a conflict support during a tough time. That support is often times invaluable.
As far as privacy is concerned, I would have to say you check that at the door when you log onto Facebook. Facebook is very public and once you choose to post something, it spreads like crazy. I reference my blog again. Within an hour of posting a comment on Facebook about a new article I wrote, there were over 70 views of my page from Facebook users. This experience really drove the point home for me. Anybody can stumble across your page on Facebook. You can only keep so much of your information private. Facebook is a designed to spread information and ideas, and it certainly lets that happen.
I personally do not feel there are any rules of etiquette within social media. I do believe that there should be rules to follow. If there was a set of helpful tips, guidelines, or even rules, that might stop people from making tremendous mistakes on social media. Here is a list of five tips I would implore people to follow when using social media.
1. Don't Hit Send- In my life experience, I have learned that people are very reactionary. When we are mad, we post things to reflect that. When someone makes us angry or upset, we feel compelled to share the story with someone else. On social media, you share your story with many more people than you realize. What you say may get back to the person you were talking about, which can cause further issues. Another thing to realize is that your employer or future employers can find what you have posted. Think before you hit send and consider the consequences.
2. Use In Moderation- Social media are an effective way to waste a great deal of time. You can become sidetracked for minutes or even hours at a time. This does not help you accomplish tasks you need to for your job or personal life. I suggest avoiding Facebook games as much as you can. These games are designed to be addictive and keep you on the page as long as possible. Don't fall for it and stay focused.
3. Watch your photos- Photos of you on social media are a great way to send the wrong message to people. Employers can see them, friends and family can see them, and if they look bad then you look bad. Keep track of what photos are attached to you on social media because once they are online, those photos are fair game.
4. Be Professional- Keep your friendships in a professional manner over Facebook. Don't get involved in drama or continuously use poor grammar in what you post. If your Facebook page reflects organization, consistency, and class that casts you in a positive light. Conversely if you choose to use poor grammar and appear dishevled, that reflects poorly on you.
5. Protect Your Identity- Don't fall prey to suspicious links on social media. Many links have viruses and can compromise the safety of your online identity. Any social media with popularity have hackers trying to tear it down. Just like anything else online, you must be wary of hackers trying to steal identities and cause harm to accounts, finances, and anything else you can find on the Internet.
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