If you need a filter to make something look perfect, social media is where it’s at. It can make you look however you want to look. Completely unrecognizable. On the other side of the coin, it removes the filters of societal norms. The things that should and should not be shared and by whom they should be shared. People lose their filter of all things appropriate. There is a time and a place for information to be shared and it should be shared by the person and/or a designated family member. For example…
When someone has a baby::
When I was growing up, you found out that someone was in labor and going to the hospital through your house phone (yes, like the phone attached to the wall of your house WITH A CORD) and once the baby came, there was a phone tree that the new parents would announce through. You waited to go to the hospital until you were invited, and the parents got to share their news. Which is how it should be. Today, someone who is a family friend finds out you’re in labor and posts on your wall to congratulate you. New moms feel the need to post a blanket request prior to labor and birthing a baby to not share her news on SM before she can. This is not right!
When someone is sick and/or hospitalized::
If you are not immediate family, it is not your information to share. You should not write it on your SM or theirs. I know that people usually mean well but we need to take a step back and realize that we do not have the right to share this information with the world. This is something that should be shared by family when or IF they are ready to share. When it is shared unwantedly, it creates other problems, like people showing up to the hospital to visit unannounced or people assuming that someone is sicker than they are or maybe even departed. People start sharing condolences and the person may be very much alive. This should be something that is left off of SM.
When someone dies::
I seriously cannot emphasize enough how incredibly rude it is to ask a family member how someone died. If it were something that the family wanted to share, they would share. If it is not made public, you do not need to know. Do not ask on SM what happened or how they died. Put yourself in their spot, if you wouldn’t want someone asking you about your family, then filter your response. Offer condolences and move on with life.
We need to stick to using the filters SM provides and let the filters of society stay in place. We need to take back personal responsibility and be respectful of other people and their lives. We need to keep our places and quit putting business out for the world to see if you are not directly involved or asked to share. Respect boundaries and privacy.
