Why you should always think twice before posting on social media

Diamonds might be forever but so is the internet. That’s why you should always think twice before you hit send.

by: E.B. Johnson

Today, the power of opinion is never further than a smartphone away. No matter where we are or what we’re doing, it’s now easier than ever to share our lives (and our opinions) with the world.

The modern age is all about “transparency” and living your life through the open lens of social media. We post anything and everything on our Facebooks and our Twitters and our Instagrams, but we rarely stop to ask ourselves anymore if we should.

Social media is a powerful tool, but it can also be a dubious one. While we trust our social media platforms to connect us and leave us feeling happier and more confident, it can have the opposite effect when not used mindfully and with caution.

The social media trap.

Social media has created a revolution in the way we communicate and has created new opportunities for us to connect with people from around the world. These benefits, however, come with some truly troubling side effects.

Getting you addicted.

We are learning more and more about social media and the unprecedented ways in which it affects the human psyche. A few weeks ago, I revealed how developers at companies like Facebook keep us addicted and coming back for more and more of their technology.

Social media developers use a system of reward-based incentives to keep you addicted to their platforms. Their technology activates the reward centers in your brain, which causes it to flood with dopamine, the chemical which causes feelings of pleasure and euphoria.

You come back to your social media feeds over and over again, chasing this high (which you get from likes, shares, comments and even confrontation) and you’re promised by the creators of the platform that you’ll receive compensation in the form of validation and acceptance.

The problem, however, is that these promises are empty ones that can lead you down the road to a very sticky trap.

The not-so-sweet honeypot.

When we start looking for validation in the form of likes or comments, we start chasing insane ideals that leave us feeling empty and unfulfilled.

We live our life in awe of Instagram stars and Twitter-verified personalities that showcase the finest points of livings. We exist in a curious state of flux as we silently compete against our friends in a battle-of-the-highlight-reels; posting as many pictures as we can of the life we want people to believe we live.

Social media is a honeypot, and it’s a toxic one.

Getting caught up in this need for validation is superficial has been shown to leave you feeling worse about yourself and your life — even when you get the “likes” you seek. The life-lived-golden on social media seems like the American dream, but it can quickly become a nightmare when you realize how little substance exists behind it.

Why you should think twice before posting on social media

While social media is a power communication tool, it has downsides far beyond it’s addictive qualities. Social media is involved in almost every aspect of our lives today. Everyone from future employers to future partners check our Facebook profiles and our Twitter handles. When we’re on social media, we’re being watching; and that can come with some pretty nasty dangers of its own.

Professional sabotage.

One of the biggest reasons to be cautious when it comes to what you post on social media is the potential for professional sabotage.

Almost 90% of employers today admit to visiting the social media pages of job applicants in order to make their hiring choices. This “e-snooping” or “e-stalking” is seen as best practice in many circumstances, as it allows employers to gain a clearer insight in to the kind of person they might be adding to the company.

If you fill your page with lots of negativity, sexuality or otherwise “inappropriate” posts, chances are you are going to shoot yourself in the foot when it comes to the job you want or even the job you have. Pics of fun nights out and rowdy holidays away can be laughable, but they can also be grounds for termination.

Even if you’re not “friends” with your employer or you don’t “follow” your HR guy on Insta, they could still be lurking on your page. Always think twice before hitting send.

Personal conflict.

We all get annoyed with the overly personal and strongly worded posts on Facebook, but more than being annoying — they can create some truly nasty conflicts in our personal lives.

Though we like to think of the things that we post to our profiles as private, they’re anything but. With the creation of screenshots and viral shares, our thoughts are never shared with a limited audience but a worldwide one. You might not care what others think, but people like your husband or your mother-in-law might.

When we take to social media for attention or validation or even just to vent, we can stir up some nasty personal conflict in our lives.

Some who dislike your perspective will confront you openly about your views, while others will remain silent (but put off) over the whole thing. Silent conflicts are some of the most corrosive to friendships and even family bonds, and they occur frequently over inconsequential social media shout-off’s and oversharing.

You may not be aware of creating conflict in your life or relationships, but it will be there; bubbling away beneath the surface. When we air our dirty laundry on the internet, we alienate ourselves and those around us who want to come to social media for that “good hit” they’ve become so accustomed to.

Have your own unique point of view but share them when it matters with people that matter — not the whole world.

Real-world dangers.

Outside of the personal and professional ramifications of oversharing our lives, posting frequently to social media has some real-world ramifications as well.

In 2016, Chris Hadnagy (the CEO of Social-Engineer) demonstrated how dangerous social media can be in an interview with CNBC. During the interview, he used a common tool found on Macs (called Preview) to demonstrate how easy it was to gain GPS coordinates from random pictures he discovered online.

Hadnagy showed how criminals could skim Instagram photos for information that allowed them to take advantage of innocent victims.

In California, a man named Arturo Galvan victimized 33 people by using pictures they had posted to Instagram. He scraped the photos for GPS coordinates and then tracked the victims to where they lived; where he returned to steal electronics, wallets and even more.

Criminals and those with insidious purposes can use the information you post on social media to invade your home or your business, violating the sanctity that you hold so dear. When you overshare your life, you leave yourself open to dangerous violations of privacy that can cross some lines which cannot be uncrossed.

Social media is also a dangerous place for children, with a shocking number of bullying cases resulting in serious consequences. Child and youth suicides are rising at an alarming rate, with many of them related to threatening and insulting tweets, comments and text messages.

How to protect yourself.

Sure, social media is dangerous…but it’s not like we’re going to get rid of it anytime soon, right? Well, yeah. You’re right.

That doesn’t mean that we can’t get smarter about using it, though, and the dangers that exist definitely don’t mean we have to cut it out of our lives altogether.It is imperative to use social media mindfully and wisely, keeping an eye always on your emotional and personal safety.

Places like Facebook and Instagram can be a great place to meet and connect, but those places can also be dangerous places for dangerous people to gather. Post with caution always and know who you’re sharing your life with. Always check your settings and make sure to turn off your camera’s access to location. Also evaluate your app needs honestly, and turn off any tracking capabilities that you don’t think are required.

Weed out your friend’s lists as well and try to keep only those people around who you are close to in real life. It can be tempting to have a Friends list that is packed to the rafters, but that’s just more empty validation. When you can focus on quality over quantity, you’ll leave yourself freer and more protected on social media.

Putting it all together…

Using social media — like everything in our lives — is all about finding a happy medium. When we overshare our lives, we can open up the door to some pretty nasty consequences like personal conflict, professional sabotage and even robbery and vandalization. The key is knowing who you’re sharing your life with and posting content with a mindful intent.

Err on the side of common sense and always be considerate about what you post on social media. The world is a big place full of amazing people, but not all of them deserve your light. Be selective about what you share and who you share it with.

Still a bit unsure? Great news: I’ve sourced a handy dandy graphic that can help you find the right way to post.