Just as the name suggests, I'm going to make some "observations" about Social Media and how people perceive it as a private arena. I'm not sure where this misconception comes from, except that they tend to call it "my wall", "my posts", etc. Maybe since there is an ownership in the day to day conversations about it, they assume it's "theirs."
If you have an argument with your husband, for instance, and you post it on your Facebook page....someone is going to message you asking about the spat. It's what friends and family do...they are checking up on you. Sure...it's possible they're just being nosey, but for the sake of argument, let's just assume they care about you and want to make sure you're OK. Your retort is, "Well, that's OUR business.". OK, fine...case closed. However, don't you see the problem here? YOU opened to door for speculation. YOU put it out there. This could potentially spark a chain of events. Your family member/friend could now contact another family member/friend to see if you're OK.
NOOWWWWW you're indignant! Righteous anger! Unfriending everyone that may have speculated about an event that you made public.
Feel silly yet?
Good.
Now, for safety sake, I'm going to bring up another time that you should be careful about posting information. This is when you're on vacation. I know, I know....you want to share with the world! You want friends and family to be jealous! You want to show everyone about that fantastic experience you're having, in real time, right NOW!
I would caution you to wait. Take pictures galore! And when you get home, post them with descriptions. Because I have had friends that come home after an extended vacation to find their house broken into. Coincidence? Or did they unwittingly alert a thief that their house was unoccupied?
If you must share your vacation experiences in real time with special people...send it via text. Or better yet, call them! If you post it on a public forum...guess what? It's PUBLIC.
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