Nowadays our lives seem to be run by social media. Twitter, Facebook and Instagram are a daily addiction for most college students, as we constantly upload content and stalk people we like or are curious about. Social media has made personal privacy a thing of the past and whether we like it or not, our personal lives have now become public knowledge. Does this freak you out? No worries; here are the do’s and don’ts of social media to keep yourself in check.
DO: Post a cute profile pic of yourself. For example, use that awesome shot of you doing a back flip off a dock or the randomly good picture a friend took of you. Selfies are 100 percent acceptable in the profile picture realm, and should be posted without any shame!
DON’T: Post a selfie every day. Please don’t. We all know what you look like behind each and every Instagram filter, and quite frankly, we don’t care. The worst is when girls post a selfie with a caption that is completely unrelated to the picture with some supposedly meaningful quote about life like, “Sometimes in life you just have to bend down and pick up a peach, even though they grow on trees.” Like, what?! How does that relate to your over-edited selfie? Just don’t do it.
DO: Have the courage to friend-request boys first. If you Facebook stalk them, might as well take it to that next step and ask to be their friend. Have a little courage, ladies! Girls would rather stalk guys on Instagram, living in constant fear of that dreaded accidental double-tap (we have all done this while insta-stalking) instead of just following them. Don’t over-think it.
DON’T: Message boys on Facebook after 10 p.m. That is going into the “booty call” hours, and girls, nobody wants to think of you as that girl. It can wait until the next day. Especially if you have been drinking — just stay off your phone. That’s a golden rule to live by.
DO: Post a photo of you and the girls going out on the weekend. You work hard and deserve to play hard as well. Also, people are genuinely interested in what adventures you are partaking in, so photos are food for curious minds.
DON’T: Post a photo of you and the girls out at some club, completely trashed and sporting fruity cocktails in hand. This is not classy and makes you look like some wasted party girl whether it’s a one-time thing or not. Once again, do not post photos on social media when you have consumed alcohol.
DO: It is completely acceptable to post a cute picture of you and your significant other. We all know that cliché Disneyland photo, kissing in front of the castle, and as corny as it may be, it’s fine. Pictures and status updates of you and your “bae” (please don’t use this word in your photo captions) after all are the only way the rest of us know you’re still in a relationship (and of course, we want to know).
DON’T: This may come as a shocker, but I strongly feel the majority can agree that posting a “man crush Monday” every single week is nothing other than nauseating. Please don’t. Who are you trying to convince about the legitimacy of your relationship, us or yourself? Doing it one time for the novelty of being able to brag about your companion, sure, why not? If you find yourself doing this every Monday, you have been warned: It is now time to cease and desist.
We have all been guilty of these don’ts. I’ve broken my own rules, and over years of trial and error — as well as embarrassment — and I have learned many lessons. Remember, nothing we do on social media is private, and anything you post is out there for the world to see, including potential employers, future in-laws and anyone else whom you may want to make a positive impression on. I hope these tips will be used in your life as guidelines and help you establish yourself as a classy, professional and responsible woman.