5 things Filipinos should stop doing on social media in 2015

It’s the start of the New Year and a lot of us have posted our New Year’s Resolutions on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Some of the resolutions I read on my timeline are for better health, career, finances, and relationships, but how about social media? If you haven’t thought of it yet, then you might want to read about the five things Filipinos should stop doing on social media in 2015.

1. Inappropriate use of hashtags – In our 10 Wrong but Funny Ways Filipinos used #RubyPH article, we pointed out that hashtags, especially the official ones, are used “to stay updated with advisories from PAGASA as well as for the local media and government to monitor emergencies and people in need of rescuing.” Although Typhoon Ruby has long left the country we’re going to experience more typhoons this year which means more official hashtags. We hope that Filipinos would use hashtags more responsibly and avoid using them for selfish reasons. The same goes with #hashtag #bombing #the #heck #out #of #all #they #post #on #facebook #or #instagram #or #twitter.

1. Sharing information online without verifying – A lot of Filipinos are still vulnerable to online hoaxes that spread like wildfire on social media channels like Facebook. Although we can reason that it’s becoming more and more difficult to filter through the junk and get the truth due to the massive amount of information you encounter on the Internet, we can still train our brains to spot these hoaxes or fake news to prevent its spread. If the news came from a site you’re not familiar with and is not reported by major news outlets, then do a little research. Verify before you share.

1. Too much ranting – Personally, I’ve no problems with people ranting on social media since not all rants are senseless. There are rants concerning important issues that can challenge the mind and spark intelligent discussions or debates. Besides it’s their personal page and people can post whatever they want. I myself have posted what I consider now as useless rants on Facebook. It just becomes a problem when when useless ranting becomes too frequent. When faced with a problem, the habitual ranter would just take it out publicly on Facebook or Twitter instead of privately tackling the problem head on. In addition, the constant flow of negativity or drama would certainly cost you friends or followers.

1. Using fake accounts / info – Social media sites like Facebook and Instagram are supposed to be for people or brands with real names or identities, however, there are still a lot who create fake accounts with fake info (e.g. Studied at Hogwarts, Working at Edi sa puso mo.) mostly for anonymity. While anonymity in itself is not the problem, these fake accounts are utilized so the real person behind it cannot be held accountable when they harshly comment, cyberbully, stalk a person, or promote “businesses” that promise easy money.

1. Begging for Likes, RTs, and Follows – Almost everyone on social media has experienced or guilty of this. Seriously, people should stop begging or asking for Likes, RTs, and Follows since it makes you sound desperate. There are exceptions, of course, like when asking for Likes or RTs to support a valid cause (not the “For every Like or Share Facebook feeds 100 people in Africa” kind). But if you’re asking for it because you posted your OOTD (outfit of the day), a quote you copied from a popular movie, or ranted on someone, that’s a big no. The same goes for Follow Backs, asking for someone to follow you is like approaching a stranger and asking him/her to be your buddy. It’s better to receive real Follows from people because they like the content you publish.

Got something to add to this list? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.