I love it when I see people be themselves. It can be quite refreshing, shocking even, to see people who are confident enough to be real. I love that. But there comes a point where you can take it too far. I don’t think that you should be fake on the internet, but you have to remember that what you post online will be there forever. Even if you delete something, people have ways to access that information.
I try my hardest to keep the not so great things off of the web. I’m not being fake. I’m putting my best foot forward. Companies, schools, and individuals have access to the internet. Most people know how to work a search engine. If you apply for a job and the HR director for a company looks at your Facebook or Twitter profile and finds something that looks bad, bye bye job opportunity. Keep your social media clean. Don’t be negative towards a specific person or company. Don’t post pictures of yourself chugging a beer (especially if you’re under 21). Post the good things in life, like accomplishments or something good about your day. Keep it looking nice, because the internet is a one stop shop for first impressions. You don’t want to leave a bad one for the world to see and save.
How do I keep my online presence clean? Well, first, I avoid posting tons and tons of pictures. The ones that do make it online are ones that I would be proud to show my grandparents. I also don’t post my location. Not that that in and of itself is a bad thing to post, but depending on that location, it can give a bad impression.
The third thing that I do to keep a good profile is I avoid using foul language. Don’t get me wrong, I do cuss in real life. But I only do it in front of people who, with absolute certainty, I know will not be offended. Again, it’s the things that I would be uncomfortable saying or doing around my grandparents that you will not find online.
Lastly, I avoid gossip and drama as best as I can. It is not always easy, but it is something that I definitely don’t want being logged forever. I usually have responses, but I will keep them to myself or find some more positive way to articulate what I mean.
The point of this is not to make anyone feel bad if they post any of the things that I don’t. I wanted to explain why I don’t post certain things, and if you don’t feel the same way, that’s totally cool. Just remember that the internet is a very powerful place, not only for you, but for everyone else with access to the internet.
Thanks for reading, and be sure to leave a comment about how you keep your social media clean!