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Online Etiquette and Social Media

Author: Sophia

what's covered
In this lesson, you will learn what it means to have online etiquette. You will reflect on the importance of minding your manners when interacting with others online. You will understand how considering your actions can help make sure you remain results driven. You will also review what social media is and some popular options. You will consider best practices and some benefits of these platforms. You will also reflect on how strong technology skills can help you take advantage of some of these benefits.

Specifically, this lesson will cover:
  1. Online Etiquette
  2. Social Media
    1. Platforms
    2. Best Practices
    3. Benefits

1. Online Etiquette

You already know there are etiquette rules for things like eating with others (put your phone away) or meeting someone for the first time (introduce yourself). It is really no different when you are online. Netiquette is the correct or acceptable way of communicating on the internet.

While there are many things to keep in mind anytime you are online, some of the key components of online etiquette are:

  • Your Voice: While people may not be able to “hear” you online, they can pick up on your tone. They may also be confused if you are not clear and concise with your words. Avoid things like using all capital letters (that can come across as shouting) and make sure your comments are on topic and logical.
  • Trolling: No one likes a troll. An online troll is someone who purposely insults others or tries to start an argument. In many cases, people feel free to use offensive or negative language because they are anonymous online. As tempting as it may be sometimes to take actions like this, it is important that you stop yourself. Any actions like this can start a chain of actions that can lead to negative consequences, hurt feelings, or worse.
  • Privacy: Has someone ever posted a photo of you that you never intended for anyone to see? You want to avoid posting anything private that someone else may not appreciate. You want to ask first as nothing online is truly private. Anything you post could be there for people to see indefinitely. Always think before you post.
Results Driven: Skill Tip
It is important to use your results driven skill when you are about to post something online. What are you trying to accomplish? If you don’t want to offend others or share something private, make sure your actions match those goals.

term to know
Netiquette
The correct or acceptable way of communicating on the internet.


2. Social Media

Social media platforms allow you to communicate informally with others, find people, and share similar interests. They also allow users to directly connect with one another through groups, networks, and locations. These platforms can be used for good, but they can also be used in negative ways. It is important to use them as intended and look to them as a positive resource.

big idea
Social media, when used as intended, can be a powerful tool both at home and at work.

term to know
Social Media Platforms
Programs and software that allow you to communicate informally with others, find people, and share similar interests, such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.

2a. Platforms
There are too many social media platforms to be able to list all of them here. The chart below shares four of the most commonly used.

Facebook This is the most popular social media platform in the world, Facebook allows you to share updates, photos, and videos. You can also use Facebook to get updates from businesses, organizations, and government agencies. It includes an instant messaging service known as Messenger.
LinkedIn LinkedIn is all about building your professional network. You can build a profile that includes work experience, education, and professional expertise. Many companies use LinkedIn to post job opportunities and connect with potential employees.
Twitter Twitter is a platform where users share short “tweets” of no more than 280 characters. It can be a great place to follow breaking news stories as people post public updates. Many public figures use Twitter to communicate with fans and followers. You can determine who you follow to tailor your feed to your interests.
Instagram On Instagram, users can edit and share images and short videos. Content tags (often called “hashtags” for the # sign that precedes them) allow users to filter content easily. Instagram has been owned by Facebook since 2012. It also has a direct message feature that allows you to connect with other users.

2b. Best Practices
As with most online content, there are important things to keep in mind before you post anything on any social media platform:

Privacy Settings: All social media sites have privacy settings. It is important to review these frequently to make sure they are set up the way you want them. You want to control who can see your posts or who can reach out to you. Privacy settings allow you to do this and more.

Scams: Don’t always trust what you see. Just as we discussed making sure you evaluate search results carefully earlier, you need to do some homework if you see something that seems too good to be true. Chances are, it probably is.

Child Safety: There are ways to control what kids can see or post on social media. If you have a child in your life, make sure you review these settings to keep them safe.

Be Mindful: Before you post anything, take a moment to reflect on who might see it and/or how someone may take it. Once something is posted, it is out there for people to see. Even if you delete it, a screenshot could come back to haunt you.

Passwords: Many social media sites have password rules set up to try to help protect you. Strong passwords are less likely to be hacked. Think about things like the length of the password, if you use it for another site, and using symbols with letters and numbers.

2c. Benefits
While you do need caution when using social media, it is not all bad. There are many benefits to creating accounts and using the sites as intended. For example, LinkedIn has a feature called LinkedIn Learning. Here you can sign up for courses on things like time management and networking. Some of these are free while others have a fee. Either way, they can help you grow professionally, and that is a plus!

Another benefit of social media is the ability to stay in touch with family and friends who are far away. Facebook, for example, lets you create group pages. You could create one just for you and your cousins. Once they are invited and become members, you can share things like family photos and other updates. You can even search for groups others have created and request to join. Maybe you like to garden and you would love to be able to ask questions to others with that same interest. Joining a group on Facebook or following a master gardener on Twitter may be the answer.

Technology: Skill Reflect
You evacuate your home due to a hurricane. Some of your neighbors decided to ride it out and stay home. What would be the benefit of joining the Facebook group for your homeowner’s association?

As you watch the short video below, think about how you could use social media to advance your own career.

Add video: Strayer Video Week 10

summary
In this lesson, you learned what online etiquette is. You better understand how to be mindful of things like your tone and privacy issues. You also learned more about some of the most popular social media platforms. You explored best practices when using them and the benefits they offer. You learned there are pitfalls to be aware of when using any social media. You were also reminded that being mindful online can help improve your results driven skill and that strong technology skills can help you ensure you are using social media as intended and for good.

Thank you for taking the course!

Terms to Know
Netiquette

The correct or acceptable way of communicating on the internet.

Social Media Platforms

Programs and software that allow you to communicate informally with others, find people, and share similar interests, such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.