Millions of people use social media every day, but starting can seem scary and even confusing. As a new user, you might be overthinking who to interact with, what to share, how to avoid issues, etc. Social media is not something you need to master overnight.
It can actually become a useful and enjoyable part of your routine if you use it with a thoughtful approach rather than viewing it as a source of stress or risk.
Understanding What Social Media Is and What It Is Not
There are several different social media platforms where people from all over the world connect with each other. Users can share photos, short videos, and even written comments to share their thoughts. Social Media enables its users to connect, communicate, and share information.
Another thing social media is not is reality. Most users do not even share their entire lives and only present what they consider the “good parts.” You might even see a picture with thousands of likes and comments, but that picture might just be the creator’s lunch.
New users of social media should remember the fact that social media is a show-and-tell platform. The content is tailored. The social media influencers and users that one follows put content out on social media that supports a narrative.
They can put out content that supports a narrative. They can put out a story that is motivational and show a luxurious lifestyle to thousands of people while only focusing on negativity in their personal lives. They can only show these ‘luxurious’ parties while hiding the fact that they are doing this to create additional income through sponsorship. Remember that social media biases the content that is shown to you; it should not be used to measure success.
Choosing the Right Platforms for Your Needs
There are a large number of social media platforms. Each of these platforms is tailored to a specific purpose of communication. Social media influencers and content creators use different platforms to achieve their objectives. Some focus on visual stimulation, such as images and clips, while some focus on describing concepts through the use of word fragments. Some focus on communicating in a professional environment, such as LinkedIn.
When determining what platforms to use, it is best to imagine what “success” means to you, as social media is highly personalized. If success means communicating with people you know, then go for a communication platform that allows you to interact with other users based on your social circle. If success means you enjoy consuming content and want to follow creators who explain their hobbies, then a content platform should meet your goals.
The platform will typically have content that matches your interests, which makes browsing an essential pre-account activity. Even after seeing one, two, or multiple platforms, their content, and their design, you will still get to control your experience through moderation and filtering options available. Also, there is an inherent benefit to starting with one and learning your way around before setting up an account for another one.
Setting Up Your Profile Thoughtfully and Safely
Being a new user, your first interaction with a platform will be your profile. This means that your profile should be a good balance between not giving out unnecessary details and being an accurate representation of you. Ultimately, it is a good thing and a better and safer thing to be more descriptive of your profile instead of disclosing more about your internal life and privacy.
Having a public profile can be a security concern if done haphazardly, but a profile with a publicly available profile can have a landscape picture, an avatar, or an artistic representation of your interests instead of a clear picture of you. On work networking platforms, you may have to look professional, dress up, and wear makeup. Be careful with many platforms’ shallow profile criteria that screen for sensitive details like names, numbers, addresses, or routes. Most platforms offer more privacy protections than are on by default.
New users especially value social media privacy options. More granular privacy settings, like adjusting who can see your posts and who can contact or tag you, help you feel more in control and help reduce anxiety. A thoughtful initial configuration can help prevent social media anxiety in the future and help you feel more secure from the start.
Learning How to Interact Without Pressure
Social media can be stressful, especially if you try to post and interact frequently. Users frequently spend time observing and consuming the content of others but do not post. There are no requirements or restrictions, especially when you are just starting.
You can begin your journey to observing by following accounts and consuming the content. You can like and save posts. You do not need to comment or share posts to actively engage. Interaction can be flat and still be enough to fulfill your social obligations. You can use social media to your heart’s content, but you should not feel like you need to use social media.
It is important to note that digital communication is devoid of context and is wholly absent of tone. Messages and comments can be easily misinterpreted. This is why it is important to think for a moment before responding to help mitigate unnecessary quarrels and to help avoid responding in a way you may regret. There are times when it is reasonable, and even smart, to simply not communicate anything.
Protecting Your Privacy and Personal Information
For novices using social media, the protection of their data is among the first and most important social media skills for newcomers. Although social media companies provide safety measures, the responsibility is primarily with the user.
Because social media companies adjust their privacy measures, it is imperative that you routinely check your privacy settings. Make certain you understand who has access to your content, who can message you, and who can access your profile content through the search function.
When communicating with unrecognizable social media handles, be particularly careful when it comes to messages or links. Scams can often be condescending or demanding and may have emotional messages that may seek to elicit a response. Never use social media to communicate your passwords, account verification codes, or anything that is financially sensitive.
Using complex and different passwords for each social media account you have is a good way to keep your data secure. Enabling the two-step verification will increase your security, as you will be more protected from having someone log into your accounts.
Trust your gut. If your instincts tell you something is suspicious or uncomfortable, you are most likely correct. It is not uncommon to block, mute, or report accounts when it comes to creating a safe digital environment for yourself.
Managing Your Time and Emotional Well-Being
It’s very easy to lose track of time when using social media. They are designed to keep us using the platform for as long as possible. Without firm boundaries, mental fatigue may become an issue.
Creating daily time limits and tracking your social media usage helps in obtaining a balance. Usage trackers are not meant to punish you but allow you to be more aware of the time you are spending.
Always monitor your moods and mental state, and how social media impacts them. If you feel stressed, anxious, or overwhelmed, consider unfollowing accounts. It’s best to help your mental state positively and avoid harming your well-being.
It is also a good idea to take social media breaks. A day- or week-long social media break can help reset your mental and emotional state. Life is more than social media, and a social media break can help improve your daily life.
Having strong social ties and in-person activities helps to competently use social media.
Recognizing Misinformation and Navigating Online Content Wisely
Many people use social media as a way to spread disinformation. There are millions of accounts, and the truth in what they say varies greatly. Social media also uses sensationalized headlines or unfounded authoritative statements.
It is imperative to verify information before assuming it to be factual, especially when information is related to health, money, or the news, and even more so when it is to be shared with others. The more credible information tends to be from more credible sources that are more established and more open.
The design of the websites and applications you use indeed shapes the information you are exposed to. While it may be true that the algorithms are used to optimize the user experience, it may also be true that the user experience may be heavily monopolized by a narrow range of perspectives.
If you eschew the use of social media because of the confusion and misinformation that surrounds it, and if you think that critical evaluation of content on social media is important, then social media, from your point of view, can be transformed into a tool that has great utility. It is imperative to understand that consuming content on social media is as important as the act of posting content.
