Tips to avoid
social media
pitfalls
SBY JAIME DEJESUS ocial media can be a great tool. It can bring friends closer together.
You can meet like-minded people with similar interests. Share
love in movies, sports, humor, heck, even help with romance.
You can also reconnect with old friends. Friendster (if
you’re old enough to remember it) and Myspace really paved
the way for a revolution. Then came today’s staples such
as Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram and others that consume
hours upon hours of our time. It’s amazing that just a few years ago, we
communicated online in totally different ways. Anyone remember AIM
or chatrooms or message boards?
With the evolution of smartphones, we are constantly wired and
in communication with our circle of friends and family. For young
people, this can be a detriment and there are many pitfalls. We’ve
seen on television and read horror stories about cyber bullying.
Equally significant is not paying attention to reality and getting
lost in a web of selfies, likes, posts and the need to let everyone
know constantly what you eat, where you are and how awesome
your night or vacation is. We all have fallen for these easy and
bad habits. Here are some tips on how to avoid social media
pitfalls.
1. Call instead of texting — I know. It’s so easy just to
type a few words and attach a meme or gif. But although
we’re constantly in contact with friends, there’s nothing
more intimate than verbal communication. It may be less
convenient. People are busy. But very few things beat
a nice, long phone call. You really get involved in each
other’s stories and it improves social skills.
2. Limit how often you post/view and enjoy the
moment — It’s easy if you are at a ballgame or a vacation
or a concert just to take tons of photos, plop them on
Instagram and wait for feedback from friends. Don’t.
Take a photo or two. Wait to post them and enjoy
the moment. Don’t film a concert. You paid good
money to see a show, not disconnect yourself just
to create a low-quality video of it. You waited all
year for vacation. Enjoy it with your loved ones
instead of hundreds of followers.
QNS.COM
10 SUMMER 2018