It’s official: Facebook‘s a staple. But since the social media site’s become the be-all and end-all of modern-day interaction, certain rules now apply that you may not have thought to embrace. That said, we’ve come up with a list of the dos and don’ts of Facebook etiquette so that your own online presence becomes a beacon of substance and not an exercise in hide from feed.
DO: Practice good grammar
Once upon a time, Facebook was a site built to connect students, and since its been expanded to reach each and every person alive, the academic precedence (if there ever was one), doesn’t seem to exist “ which, of course, is not a good thing. Good grammar is important. And while it may be tempting to utilize u, 2 and whtvr, remember that you’re doing a disservice to both yourself and the English language “ as well as to everyone forced to read makeshift slang.
DO NOT: Overshare
It may seem appropriate to share each and every detail of your day-to-day life, but the TMI rule is in effect when it comes to relationships, your sex life and even personal feelings. It’s easy to screencap (and even easier to block and delete), so to prevent any harmful information from hitting the masses, censor your thoughts and reserve them for close friends and family “ who you know aren’t going to turn it into gossip fodder. After all, you may think it appropriate to declare independence from that [insert relevant adjective here] boyfriend, but the rest of the world does not.
DO: Add personality
You may be hesitant to post anything personal, especially with the ever-changing privacy settings in a constant state of evolution, but to maintain an online presence worthy of being liked (all puns intended), it’s important to add a bit of yourself into your statuses “ at least in terms of not posting only work-related information or your office phone number. Not that you need to list every ingredient you used to make your dinner, but a mobile upload of your latest thrift store find is the perfect catalyst for a fun discussion.
DON’T: Start wars
It can be tempting to correct someone else’s grammar or to disagree with a status in a very public way, but by picking apart someone else’s Facebook habits, you’re only succeeding in making yourself look petty, and causing somebody unnecessary grief. The beauty of Facebook is that you’re not forced to stay friends if you’re not interested: if you’re bored by someone’s day-to-day and find yourself rolling your eyes at every status update, it’s probably time to question why you added them in the first place, and politely bow out.
