10 Life Lessons One Can Learn From Being Active in Social Media

It’s amazing how technology has evolved and has made our lives so much better. One part of technology that has made a big impact on both our lives is social media. We are both active on different social media platforms. Imagine if not for Twitter our paths would not have even crossed.

Social media day is even celebrated all over the world because, whether everyone agrees with it or not, social media is now part of our everyday life. When you want to see and share photos of your family, you just go to Facebook and you will see what is happening to them day in and day out. You need a recipe for a dish you want to prepare for a party, what do you do? Ask your friends to recommend one on Twitter. For those who are still afraid to be active on social networking sites, here are some lessons we both have learned and hopefully can help make your journey an easy and painless as possible:

1. Be careful what you share – Remember what you share online will remain online forever. So if you had lots to drink or you are mad, don’t tweet it or wait until you are sober to update your social site.

2. Just be yourself – When we met for the very first time, we felt comfortable with each other because we were exactly who we are online as we are offline. We need not pretend to be another person. In the long run people will figure out who you really are. No one wants to be fooled both online and off-line. We believe everyone is special in their own way and has something unique to offer the World as long as they let their true self shine.

3. You become a citizen of the world – Being active on social media will open a bigger world to you. You don’t only meet people from all over the world, but you become exposed to diverse cultures, food, history and experiences just by looking at what they share on the different social sites. Time zones do not exists and distance is not a barrier to connect and interact.

4. It’s not all about YOU – One thing we don’t get is that some people still tend to live in a bubble. To be truly involved in social media means you need to be social too. Converse and engage, reciprocate. Egos can be inflated on social media. Just like in life, make sure to keep both feet on the ground. Do more listening than talking.

5. Give and you will receive – This is something we both believe in. Just like in your everyday life if you know how to give, you will receive back even if you do not expect anything in return. There are so many ways you can give back to your online friends: a tweet, a retweet, a kind word, a thoughtful comment on their blog or Facebook page goes a long way.

6. Learn and inspire – People often say that being active on social sites is a time waster. It need not be if you learn and share and inspire others. It will then become a worthwhile endeavor. We love being active because we have had received so many wonderful comments from people we have inspired and lives we have touched.

7. You can use your influence for good – Do you know of a cause that needs support? Would like to donate your time or money? There are so many opportunities that are open for you to help out. You just need to be following the right people and brands to find out details.

8. Common sense should not be forgotten – We often hear of horror stories of people being scammed online or have their hearts broken because they fell in love with someone online and the person was not who they say they were. Always make sure you are still cautious, take care of your privacy and practice safety both online and offline.

9. Its okay to have an opinion – You don’t have to do what everyone is doing. You don’t have to always go with the flow. You can share what you think and have your own opinion. Do what you think is right for you in the social sphere.

10. You learn to take the good and the bad – In the online world, everything becomes amplified. What is posted can be spread around in minutes. We know that if you put yourself out there, there may be people who instead of offering constructive criticism will put you down. This will happen sometimes and you don’t have to hide or be afraid. Just know they will be there and you will learn to face and deal with them the best way you can.

There you go, our ten life lessons you can learn from being active on social media. If you have discovered lessons that have made an impact in your life as we have, please share them with us and our wonderful readers by leaving a comment below. We would love to hear from you.

Photo Credits [Marty McPadden]