For better or worse, social media has made it easier than ever to share almost every aspect of our lives. As a natural consequence, the urge to share has increased as well, muddying the waters between our personal and professional lives. So what happens when you share a little too much?
Unfortunately, the ramifications of social media overshare can be serious and far-reaching. Here’s what to do if you need to get a better handle on your social media use:
Set Clear Boundaries: Make sure you establish clear boundaries between your social and professional lives. Set rules, and limits, and let friends and colleagues know what your expectations are. In addition, consider keeping personal and professional social media accounts completely separate. Even then, keep in mind that it’s still entirely possible for someone to make the connection between your personal profiles and your business. Always air on the side of caution, and use good judgment when posting.
Respect the Boundaries of Others: Life will always have its ups and downs and social media makes it easy to share our highest highs and our lowest lows. But that shouldn’t mean inviting others unwillingly into drama. So be mindful about sharing personal information. It puts your privacy at risk, and sharing personal information can come across as unbecoming and inappropriate. Like it or not, some things should remain offline and firmly within your inner circle.
Monitor Your Social Media: It’s always a good idea to perform regular privacy checkups on all your social media accounts. Thoroughly check your settings to see who follows you and what they have access to. Additionally, you may want to do a trawl through your connections and cull any contacts that may no longer interest or serve you.
Share Mindfully: As any good therapist will tell you, reacting to a situation while feeling emotional is never a good idea. Emotions drive oversharing, making it easier to overstep boundaries that can lead to big mistakes. If you’re having a rough time, the urge to vent on social media is understandable. However, be aware that revealing an inappropriate amount of detail can lead to serious consequences. Whatever you may be feeling, take a step back to examine your intentions and the possible outcomes of your actions.
Remove Unwanted Content: Unfortunately, the Internet is forever. Even “private” content can easily be forwarded, screenshotted, posted, and shared elsewhere. But there are still ways to get ahead of disaster if you’ve made an unwise decision to post something of questionable value. First, remove the unwanted content immediately. Then, if you can, ask others who may have shared your content to remove it. Beyond that, it may be helpful to contact an online content removal service.
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