SOCIAL MEDIA: BEFORE YOU POST THAT YOUR PICTURE, PAUSE AND ASK; IS IT WORTH IT?

A new study has established that excessive use of social media, in particular the posting of images and selfies, is associated with a subsequent increase in narcissism. What we post in social media has a way of defining us! How we post it also has a way of making or mare us. The truth is that social media is here and a lot of people have been ruined due to what they post, how their post their picture and when they post these pictures. A picture tells a thousand stories! So, before you post that your fancy car or your new place or tour outing in that 5-star hotel or your office environment as yourself, am I doing this to get likes? Am I doing this to project an image? Am I doing this to sell a product or am I doing this to shame the haters? We must look at these things before we do that post! We have a term called PDA, it is public displays of affection (PDA) are acts of physical intimacy in the view of others. … Physical affection has been defined as “any touch intended to arouse feelings of love in the giver and/or the recipient.” Though it can be good but too much of everything can be bad.

“Narcissism is a personality characteristic that can involve grandiose exhibitionism, beliefs relating to entitlement, and exploiting others. Those who used social media excessively, through visual postings, displayed an average 25% increase in such narcissistic traits over the four months of the study.This increase took many of these participants above the clinical cut-off for Narcissistic Personality Disorder, according to the measurement scale used”, Published in The Open Psychology Journal, researchers from Swansea University and Milan University

The journal added that Those who used social media excessively, through visual postings, displayed an average 25% increase in such narcissistic traits over the four months of the study.

Have you entered a flight let’s say from Abuja to Lagos, one funny thing is that people keep snapping up and down before the take off! What are they doing, they post on social media? It is to show that they are now “flying”! Lol, have you also noticed that when people get engaged, give birth they post on social media! This might mean two things, my haters, I have finally found that man and I am married or those that think I can’t give birth, now I can give birth! A lot of messages can be conveyed in social media.

When I was in the university, there used to be a course that we had, a 3-unit course it is called “Non verbal communication” and in that course it is said that over 70% of our communication is non verbal and it is true. So, what do you post in social media? Do you actually need to post that new car that you bought in social media? Now that we are in perilous times, kidnappers can visit and demand at least 100k Ransome? You as a single girl, must you go to hotel every time and snap and post? Now that men are being careful not to marry a girl that knows all the hotels in the town?  You as a wife do you need to post what you have in your home or how you have been gushing and loving your husband? Now that side chicks aren’t skilling and scarcity of husbands are real. You as a man, must you post the pictures of your family every time? Now that your ex isn’t married and still angry that you dumped her for your wife? You as a young graduate must you post shallow things in social media now that employers look at your social media to know the type of person you are?

In Mass media, we have what us called gatekeeping, it is the ability to know, watch and scrutinize contents that the population consume, that is for traditional media, but that is lacking in social media! Now that is where people get haunted! You post your pictures with folks and it gets to haunt you in future!

Social media can be a funny place though it has made people to be able to express their views without hinderances also it has made people to be known and their ideological leanings exposed.

Though some people live on social media, I mean they can’t do without posting their daily lives , maybe they want to be influencers. It has made a whole lot of people to be in harm’s way and marriages crashed. Why do you post pictures of the food you eat every time on social media? What message are you trying to convey? Yes, it is fine wines and dines but please take it easy, folks might not love it.

Personally, I am not against posting a whole lot in social media but with the Concept of social engineering, hackers can use what you post to hack your account it’s simple as that …example , most people use their date of birth as their PIN , most PIN are 4 digit and date of birth is 4 digit if you are born in 1987, you post your age and let’s say your name is  Ammy, and your baby’s name is Jane …a good hacker would try Ammy, Jane, 1987, date of birth of the kids etc…it’s social engineering.

We mustn’t post everything ok social media. Let’s say that you are an IPOB member and you have been going around calling Nigeria zoo, trust me, when you want to seek for clearance or contract from FG, do you think that under due diligence the FG would give you that job? No, they can’t because you called them zoo!

Most recruiting firms look at the social media posts and walls of their employees to ascertain their level of engagement. I mean I would not employ someone that says that he can’t work in a one-man firm in his post? Neither will any employer someone that posts “fake it till you make it “. Employers want real people not fakers

I have seen marriages crash because of what wives post on social media in order to be seen as “woke” or in line with realities! You post those men are scum and that you will not take shit from your husband! Many decent men would leave you and take a walk! Nobody wants trouble as a wife! It has happened before and would be happening! 

According to a researcher Danielle Anne, she puts it this way “Couples who spend a significant amount of time on Facebook everyday are more likely to experience conflict in their relationships. Facebook shows people if messages have been read, or if a person is active or not. Imagine having to monitor all that information!”

So social media, one has to be careful, you might have a political philosophy that is nice, you might have a religious ideology that is nice but never take it too extreme! A lot of folks go around insulting people when you have a different view…the next is to call you all sorts of names! This is very wrong! I belong to many forums especially international forum…that has cars enthusiasts! We disagree most times on the type of model and the preface lift version but they don’t call names! Maybe it is our culture to be gragra or angry or maybe it is our economy…but we must as a people take it slow especially on the issue of picture and what we post on social media.

You that have private conversation with someone in inbox only for you to munch or screengrab it and post it on social media, how do you think that people would trust you tomorrow!  You might get a lot of likes but trust me your credibility is gone!

So, posting is social media is good, just like everything in life, private pictures should be posted in moderation. You only post milestones, you don’t need to post your kids eating, jumping or the kid of food you eat or the kind of car you drive or the type of flight you enter…. ignorance is bliss, so once in a while let people bask in ignorance and live your private life. If it about the individual, if it’s not a milestone, a funny anecdote or a special moment, try not to post about it at all. Note: funny anecdotes do not mean every funny thing you and your partner say or do. Women, in particular, are guilty of this. Unless it is a real riot, keep it to yourself, or at least your real-life conversations!

ANTHONY EMEKA NWOSU

You that have private conversation with someone in inbox only for you to munch or screengrab it and post it on social media, how do you think that people would trust you tomorrow!  You might get a lot of likes but trust me your credibility is gone!