What Not to Say Over Facebook and Twitter

When I read articles from recruiters or ask someone working in Human Resources, most of the time, they say they look up applicants' Twitter, Facebook, etc. This made me spend the past few days cleaning up the content of my accounts and cringed at some regrettable-what-was-I-thinking statements / photos. (Some stuff I was reluctant to get rid off as they hold great memories and believe I would love to look back and laugh at. So these I kept in my private accounts which are not visible to potential employers.)

The difference with typing and actually saying it is that type has taken out the tone which you might have had in mind. Jokes may be taken as sarcasm, sweetness maybe understood as clinginess and so on. Now I want to take the time, as a reminder to myself and a warning to whoever reads this, to create a guideline when posting things. 

Keep your dirty mouth away from the keyboard.

Cursing always sound different from when you say it in person. An innocent "fuck you" to a friend may sound totally innocent in your head but when someone reads it, it puts a negative pull at the back of one's head. For example, one along the street might hear someone talking like this: "Oh that fuckin' chicken tasted totally fuckin' retarded. Don't screw with me, bitches!" But when you just read it, it feels a bit offensive, doesn't it? Even if it was not directed to you!

The Internet world may be your stage, but keep your drama out of it.

Unless your drama is your line of business or you are seriously asking for help(i.e. donations for a loved one's illness, posting lost pets), refrain from weeping all your woes publicly or participating in cyber-wars. It is the same as seeing an eye-scratching-stiletto-cat-fight in the street: people will look for their amusement but will not want to get close.  It shows that you're the type of person who likes to make a public spectacle of all the wrong things. Your accounts are representations of yourself, it is your very own advertisement. Use it wisely. Call a friend. Talk to someone, personally.

Do not post EVERY SINGLE THING in your life.

Have you ever looked at an A2 cork board in a cafe with 500 flyers on it? You'll skim your eyes over it for a while but won't bother to remember anything about any of it. (Also, it opens a door to potential burglars if you're too detailed with your personal life but that's a different topic on its own) I'm not saying don't get personal, but do control what you release. For example, it is ok to share which movies or books you've just finished then add some opinion. This shows your personality. But here is an example of too much, too useless:

• Going to the movies. Can't decide what to watch.
• Decided to watch Toy Story.
• Eating a scone from Starbucks before going to watch Toy Story. Still got time.
• In line to buy popcorn at the movies. Horrendously long.
• It is time to turn off my phone because the movie's about to start. See you later!
• Just finished watching Toy Story. Someone in the cinema laughed too loud!
• I think Toy Story was cute and sweet. I'm a child-at-heart forever.
• The other day I watched Toy Story with Jane Doe and now I want a Buzz Lightyear.

Speak English or any other real language, for that matter of fact.

This could be just a personal stickler with me but I cannot tolerate looking at badly spelt statements with no sense of grammar. Typographical errors, on one hand, (except when your text is job-application-oriented) are acceptable in the right amount as they can be honest mistakes and I am guilty of some every now and then. An entire phrase with words which are not real words and using numbers / symbols for letters is simply gibberish. And nobody worth knowing likes to talk to someone responding in gibberish. So unless you're sending a telegram during war, don't make up your own fake language.

Reread before hitting "Post", specially feeling TOO passionate about posting it.

Especially if it is a rant or complaint: get up, grab some tea, find a way to relax then come back. Our emotions get the best of us and what we may find totally proper to say at an emotional outburst will sound absolutely ridiculous, even to yourself once you settle down in normal state-of-mind.