I asked a few friends what tips they would give about the use of Social Media and Cell Phones. Below are some of the responses I received. Several have been edited by me to fit what I thought I was going to use them for or to remove references to specific people. My favorite 11 are bolded.
1. Install the Scriptures
2. Use social media to proclaim the gospel
3. Personal interaction is more important than digital communication.
4. The number of "friends" you have does not determine your value.
5. Assume that EVERYTHING YOU DO ONLINE CAN BE TRACED BACK TO YOU."Shouted upon the house tops"
6. Electronics and the Internet are like electricity, very very cool, but deadly when abused.
7. Visit LDS.org and "like it".
8. The Lord has provided these tools for this generation. Consider why that might be.
9. If you have run into problems with these thing talk to your parents or the Bishop NOW.
10. Seek the Spirit to guide you in ALL things. Including when, where, and how to use the tools/toys of the day.
1. Don't provide specific details:
Address, Phone #
Dates, times your family is going on vacation
2. Don't respond (email) or accept (facebook) people you don't know
3. Don't meet someone you met online alone
(take someone with you, they may not be who (age, gender) you think they are)
4. Block inappropriate material (don't look at it)
5. Karma is important to remember (what comes around goes around)
If you bash someone electronically, expect it to happen to you
6. Use twitter, to update the right choices you are making
Ie, at the temple doing Baptisms!
7. Use facebook to lift each other up (send thank you's)
Tell a member of your group what you appreciate most about them
Share a quote or inspirational thought from the Ensign, Church News
Post photos that your folks will be proud of
Post photos of fun activities
8. Use technology to keep group members up-to-date on activities and changes
If adults are texting youth, other adults should be copied as well
9. Remember that once it's sent, you cant take it back and anyone can see it
Social media is never private, and it can be forwarded on without permission
10. Share logins and passwords to all social media and email with your parents and ONLY your parents and expect them to use them from time to time.
1. Internet can be a very "private-seeming" place. To help reinforce that it is not private but is VERY public:
a. Put computers in "public" places in your home.
b. Refrain from accessing the internet when you are alone
c. Don't use the internet to rant, gossip, or resolve private matters
2. Don't send messages or photos that you would regret having copied and widely disbursed. Post only information that you would be perfectly comfortable with your parents reading or seeing.
3. Do not share passwords with anyone except your parents.
4. Do not try to resolve conflicts of any kind through email or text messaging. Note: Employers, college admissions offices, team coaches, etc may view your online postings.
5. Make sure that someone who loves you, knows what you are doing online
a. consider limiting amount of time online - to keep the real world in perspective and the virtual world in check.
b. help your parents sett up their profile, ask them inquisitive questions about different privacy settings with lots of what-if scenarios. Use this time as an opportunity to discuss what's appropriate to post and what may be inappropriate.
6. NEVER post personal information on social media sites or other websites. Define what is considered personal information and how it could be used to hurt someone. Note: I observed several facebook postings showing pictures of families on vacation with wall postings talking about how much fun they are having on their trip. What a perfect advertisement that you are not home!
7. DELETE is not permanent online. Once it's posted, consider it a permanent record.
8. Talk openly about "Real-world consequences" of cyber-bullying.
1. Facebook Is Forever. Think carefully about what you write, what images you post, and what you "Like." Questionable choices may comeback later to haunt you.
2. Much of what I see written on Facebook is negative or sarcastic. Instead, use social media to build up others and make the world happier.
3. Oftentimes "Less is More." I tend to ignore the writings of those who post often, while I am always interested in the writings of those who don't say as much.
4. If you are mad at your parents, Twitter is not the place to announce it. Talk to your parents. Tell them why you are angry. Work it out.
5. Unfriending a family member is a serious. We need to be our family members' biggest fans! If you are mad at a family member, talk to them and work it out.
6. Social media doesn't take the place of real friendships. Having a phone or face-to-face conversation with someone meets our human friendship needs a lot better than online media.
7. Reliance on cell phones and social media may decrease your friendship moments instead of increasing them: When I see someone with their nose buried in their phone, I'm not going to approach them to chat. I will even avoid them.
8. Text your parents with more than just requests to extent curfew. Just like you and your friends they would probably appreciate friendly texts that show interest in them.
9. People answering phones during church shows a great disrespect for the sacredness of Sunday worship. Leave your devices at home during church. Old-fashioned scriptures made from paper work just fine.
10. If your parents are addicted, don't follow their bad example. Adults who can't forego texting and surfing during church are addicted. Using cell phones in a class or meeting is disrespectful to those putting on the meeting.
Cell Phones:
1. When in a group, always excuse yourself to answer a call.
2. It is better to leave your phone on vibrate when you will be in a group.
3. Never be texting when a speaker or a leader is speaking. It is just plain rude.
4. Let people know who you are texting with when you are about to start to drive and that you will NOT respond until you park the car again. They will understand.
5. Don't take a phone call when you are in class or in another group that is focused on a teacher/leader. Ignore the call.
6. Don't take calls from other people or text others while you are on a date. Give that much respect to the person you are out with!
7. Not all texts have to be responded to.
8. If you are waiting for a call and it comes, please explain that to others you are with, and then excuse yourself.
9. Find a quiet place away from others to take a call. Don't just go merrily along with a loud voice talking on the phone.
10. Cell phones are for convenience, and in public, should be used only for brief conversations. Long talks and gossiping can wait till you are home.
1. Realize that anything you say is recorded forever in the internet. FOREVER. You can never delete the backups, the comments, photos, or "likes" you leave behind. It's like putting a giant tattoo on your "digital self". Make sure it says something that reflects well upon you--forever.
2. If you're angry, sad, jealous or negative in any way, don't post anything. Go to bed and sleep on it and post the next day. Old saying: Better to be silent and suspected to be a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.
3. Stand in holy places. If you have a facebook "friend" that posts profanity, links to inappropriate media, or just brings you down, unfriend them. You don't need to be dragged through the digital dump.
4. Live in the NOW! Don't use texting when in the presence of real, live, local people. Interact with them. That means talking, etc... If you're texting in a crowd, share the conversation. Having a private conversation on text while with somebody else is like turning your back on somebody in the middle of a discussion. Rude.
5. The spirit is easily disrupted by noise. Take time every day to completely disconnect. Best time to do this is early in the morning and late at night. Allow yourself 30 minutes with your phone, ipod and PC off so you can pray, study, think and relax before bed. Don't let the urgency disrupt your priorities.
6. Never respond to an unknown sender via text, email, or chat. There are predators of all types out there. If it's a local number texting you should reply--who is this. If you don't have a caller ID, don't reply at all. Always avoid giving any personal information to anyone you don't know.
7. Don't share info on where you are and what you're doing on facebook etc until after it's done. It's like advertising to thieves--I'm not home, come steal my stuff. Remember many photos are marked with GPS data so posting a photo can tell somebody where you are and when. Don't post the photos until you're home.
8. Restrict your security settings so only direct friends can see your personal info--No friends of friends.
9. Never take a photo that is suggestive or inappropriate in any way. This includes taking photos of any kind of nudity. Just taking such a photo can be illegal. Sending it is illegal as well. You can't take it back or undo it. Be smart.
10. Use your technology for good. Check out the new LDS youth site. Lots of free music, cool videos, etc... Download the LDS apps. Use email, texting, photos and social media to make the world a better place. Be positive. Be happy. Let all of your communications reflect this attitude. Bring people up, not down.
1. Don't have critical conversations via social media that should be done in person. So much is lost in meaning when you can't read body language, vocal tone etc. etc. We've had problems with conversations being completely misinterpreted because social media has it's limitations.
2. Don't say anything via social media that you would not have the courage to say directly to a person. All too often, we say things in writing that we would never have the nerve to say first person. If you shouldn't say it in first person...it shouldn't be said.
3. Consider the time and place you access social media. Don't make others surrounding you feel less important because you seem to care more about your little handheld device than about them standing directly in front of you.
4. Consider whether what you're posting adds any real value to the world. I worry that social media is teaching our youth that everything is about them. Some of it is really so frivolous! I did this...I think this...I experienced this...I feel this...etc. etc. Social media can be selfish if we aren't careful. It promotes telling the world about ourselves instead of promoting us to ask questions and learn to listen to others.
5. When you're bored, how much time do you waste surfing through social media posts vs, developing a talent. Sometimes we miss opportunities to accomplish something meaningful but instead we'll spend an hour just reading social media jibberish!
6. Carefully consider the group you're networking with. Like friends, your social media networking group rubs off on you. Is your group limited to those who will make you a better person. If not, clean the contact list!
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