Social media accounts need managing just like anything else in life. They accumulate things like an office would – information, contacts, photos and content that you may no longer want to share with the world. Even if you think something is private on social media, it most likely will never be completely private. That means anything you put out there can be seen by other people. Here’s how and why you should clean up your social media.
The age factor
In this day and day, many people start building a social presence at a young age. And if they continue to use the social platform it can be around for years and decades. As people, we change over time with how we view the world and our opinions on things.
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You may post something you think is funny at a young age only to be embarrassed years later that you ever posted such a thing. That’s why cleaning up social accounts is so important. They are a reflection of you. So if you get an account at 14 and have that account at 18 when starting to apply for college or 22 when starting to apply for a job, you may seriously want to take a look at things and clean up your content.
friends and contacts
Social media is a great way to keep in touch. But as we lose touch with people over time, it might not be the worst idea to clean up your contacts. This may depend on each platform. For example, LinkedIn is a great place to stay connected with people who may be more strangers than friends due to contacts in the workplace. Whereas your Facebook may be more personal.
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I try to be aware before erasing, or before friending. You don’t want to hurt people’s feelings, but as you start to build your social profiles you might want to choose to be selective. While you may friend quicker on LinkedIn, you may want to think twice before friending on Facebook or another more personal account.
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social media management
In the end, social media needs management especially if you’re an active user. It’s something you may be on for work or personal matters, but if you’re reading this post you likely use social media in your life. You want to create your accounts to reflect your personality, space and community – so think before you create and before you connect. Otherwise, take some time every few months or every year to do some spring cleaning and clean up your social media accounts.
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