Imma go on a rant here.
Something I believe everyone should know…. If you’re going to use social media, I believe you need to understand how the heck it works!
Far too many people think social media is just this fun little social space. It can be, for sure. But it has become a monster since its inception, and far too many people of all ages — young, old, and everywhere in between — hop on any platform and just don’t understand how to use it safely and well.
They don’t know how to lock down their profiles or their friends list. They don’t know how to post or tag people. They don’t understand how to verify an account. They don’t understand what information is okay to share and what isn’t. They don’t understand how algorithms work. They don’t know how to hide posts or block people. They mix it up with strangers. They believe things that are flat out false and share them as truth. They don’t understand bias. They don’t understand how sophisticated AI is.
When you get on social media and don’t understand these things, you end up getting a news feed filled with crap — everything from weird ads to bizarre page suggestions, random, BS friend requests, hacked and cloned accounts, hostile people commenting on your posts or responding to your comments or sending you nasty DMs, and interactions with bad actors that can compromise your safety, both physical and financial. The best case scenario is you look like a dingbat.
Am I perfect about my social media use? Heck no. But when I post something, I know what I am doing and I know what I am risking.
Social media is quite honestly a cesspool of humanity, and it is only enjoyable if you take the best possible steps to curate it that way for yourself. If you’re not sure how to do that, take some time to learn, or just be a lurker, or just leave it (but don’t just abandon your account — please be sure to close it the right way)!
End rant. Sorry (kinda) for anyone I offended.
The View from the Cheap Seats 