Digital communication technologies/Using DCTs/Social media

Social Media has taken the world by storm: sites such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Bebo all allow users to converse with friends and family, upload and share photos and make friends and connections all over the world. We are primarily going to look at Facebook in this example but many of these conventions apply to all social media.

Social Media Conventions

 * Introduce yourself properly. Social Networking is no different to socialising in person: when asking to be friends with someone it is still polite to introduce yourself.
 * Do not have private conversations in public. On Facebook, your wall is the most commonly used area. You can have conversations with people here, however avoid using this for conversations that are private or may insult/hurt someone else. Use the private message option. This is the same as an email message.
 * Uploading & Tagging Photos. Be careful of what photos you upload to facebook, embarrassing photos of you and your friends can impact your life in the future. Photos that you upload also become the property of facebook as stated in their terms and conditions. Avoid tagging your friends in photos that may embarrass them, let them tag themselves so it is their choice.
 * Be careful what you post! Posts can be removed from sight however this does not mean they have been removed from the internet all together. Think before you make comments as you may regret these at a latter date. Think about what implication your comments may have on others also. Since social networking is all about links between people, something you say can easily get around.
 * Accept requests only from people you know. You do not have to accept every person who requests your friendship. Take a minute to consider why a complete stranger would want to add you on Facebook as a friend.

Other Social Media
There are many forms of social media, all providing different spins on networking with others. Below we will touch on a few other options: