Something has been bothering me for a while and it is time to get it off my chest. I believe in freedom of speech and expression, but your freedom ends where it starts hurting others. I have seen a lot of bullying, negative and rude comments. I am tired of biting my tongue! Accounts are being created for the sole purpose to troll around and stir things up just for entertainment. It is not funny to harm or attack others just to get attention!

Too many people are hiding behind a safe smoke screen while attacking celebrities or other accounts. It is too easy to use the anonymity of an avatar and post rude comments or offensive pictures. Times are changing and so should our etiquette. We need new rules or guidelines on how to use Social Media in a polite and effective way.

Let’s look at some “Do’s and Don’ts for a Positive Social Media Experience” by Stewardship for example.
If you are bored, read a book or watch a movie. Don’t get on the internet looking for trouble. Being a troll might be entertaining for you, but, just like bullying, can really hurt others.
Treat people like you want to be treated. Watch your language, don’t tweet or post anything you would not say in public.

Celebrities, no matter if you like or dislike them, are just people too, with private lives and a right to respect. Don’t invade their boundaries or verbally attack them. You may think they won’t see it, but that one nasty response amid 100 friendly ones, might get noticed!
It seems some people enjoy pushing other’s buttons. They do anything just to see a reaction, to get attention. Sadly enough it works. The squeaky wheel is more likely to get noticed. But I would rather see positive reactions to my posts than negative ones.

Also, it’s really not fair to insult a public person while hiding like a coward. They have no way to respond or defend themselves, because, unlike you, they have to watch what they post or say on Social Media.
Speaking of, you should be careful too. Often enough even anonymous posts can catch up to you in the real world, especially when seeking employment, or on the job.

No, it’s not ok to tell your favorite celebrity they look tired, their clothes don’t fit right, or to correct their spelling. Nobody likes a know-it-all. It is rude to comment on their sexuality, and family or relationships are off limits too.
As a rule of thumb, don’t post anything you would not dare to say to their face.

If you had a few drinks stay off Social Media! You might think you are funny and witty, but you will cringe reading your posts or tweets the next day! Social Media and alcohol don’t mix well!

Now I want to share how to tweet or post better. I have gotten many likes, responses and even follows from celebrities over the years. Sometimes I am still shocked, like, when a few days ago, @MTV tweeted at me! They only have 13.4 million followers!

Most peeps think only of themselves, and that is the problem. You have to put yourself in the other person’s shoes. If your favorite actor posts a picture, most responses, aside from the occasional insult, inadvertently contain “I love you!” or “Please follow me!”. I’m sorry, but that is not only lame, but stupid! Do you really think a celebrity would follow you just because you ask?

Try to use a sense of humor in your tweet, or give an intelligent reply that relates to the original post. Something that shows you not only read and understood it, but can relate to the message. If you want to get a response, your tweet has to be about them, not yourself! All these requests for birthday wishes are really getting old too!

Express yourself, use emojis, try to show some personality. The written word gets often misunderstood, we don’t all have the same sense of humor. Not everybody understands sarcasm, and a lot gets also lost in translation. Using a winking or smiling emoji shows more clearly that you are joking.

Be kind, post positive messages, be nice to others and most will be friendly to you…and for the rest there is still the helpful block button! Try to be yourself, don’t fake or pretend anything, but, most of all, have fun! Social Media is amazing and I really enjoy to be able to interact with actors, directors, news and magazines…endless possibilities!