Tweeting about FAKE NEWS? SAD!
This isn’t about the Donald– I just wanted to get your attention for a moment. This is about social media.
Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest and hundreds of other media have lots to offer, no doubt, and for the clever few, there can be great business benefits. And nobody disputes how much fun they can be– who knew there were 173 money-saving uses for old paint cans?
But there’s always a word of caution, so let me be the wet blanket here about social media accounts.
First of all, they’re eternal. Your posts will endure long after you shave off that silly moustache, long after you got a tattoo of what’s-her-name and long after you’re gone. In a sense, you’re writing your own legend. Let it honour you. At the very least, don’t let it dishonour you.
Second, they’re open to the world. Once upon a time we nailed a recalcitrant daddy who wouldn’t pay child support. He claimed he was being denied access. But his Facebook pages told a very different story. Sorry, but you DO live in a fishbowl.
Third, they’re uncontrollable. Your post can go viral. Sometimes that’s what you want, and sometimes it’s the last thing you want. As they used to say back in the days of print, live your life as if it’s going to show up in the headlines of the New York Times.
Fourth, they’re not your property. Your posts don’t belong to you– read your Terms of Use.
Fifth, they’re addictive. Facebook and many of the others have teams of social engineers constantly figuring out what is going to keep you glued to their screen. Seriously. Why? See the next item.
Sixth, social media companies are in business to make a profit. There is no free lunch. Everything about you is for sale and for search.
But you already knew all that!