5 Tips On How To Be A Decent Citizen In The SM World

What amazing times we live in today!

We have such a Divine opportunity to reach out, to meet, to greet people from all over the planet.  No geographical boundaries here!  Yes, we are in remarkable times indeed.

However, unlike any mass medium we have today, we the people are actually an active part of this growing space.  Unlike before, with film, radio, TV, where we would sit back and “CON”sume the media that was given to us, now we are “PRO”sumers, and making the SMW (Social Media World) what we want it to be!

We are in the driver’s seat here, my friend!

Since social media has become a global digital community, we must remember first and foremost the Golden Rule that applies to all people that we are in relation with.  With this in your heart, the rest will be so much easier:

“One should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself.”

TIP #1 ~ Give thanks & gratitude generously, to anyone who you inspires you, to anyone whose posts you share, to anyone who you feel grateful for.  Period!  Share the gratitude, there’s always more to go around, and it will definitely come your way.  Promise!

It will truly benefit you to give credit where credit is due, instead of stealing someone’s worth for your own.  Anyone can copy and paste, and in school, they call that plagiarism.  It’s really no different here.

A Twitter example for you.  I posted a fabulous business success quote from a business leader, and I found the exact quote, copy and pasted into one of my follower’s tweets!  Maybe he didn’t know any better, or maybe he did, but on Twitter, retweets are one of the greatest WOM (Word of Mouth) gifts of gratitude that you can give to someone.  So instead of taking it as his own, he should have done a “RT @WendySueNoah – amazing quote here”.  This would have given him the same content AND would have appropriately thanked me for using one of my tweets.

And now to practice what I preach here, I’d like to sincerely thank you for taking the time to read this blog and for your interest in being a good SM citizen!

TIP #2 ~ Offer value to others.  In other words, instead of the very outdated 80’s ME generation WIIFM (What’s In It For Me), try the conscientious compassionate WIIFY (What’s In It For YOU).  Again, interact this way and see how others engage you in the same way!

Whether you call it karma or “what goes around comes around”, it really works like this.

On Twitter, my profile text starts off with, “How can I serve YOU?”  This may sound a little strange to many, maybe even come off as a way to push my services.  Yet, I really mean it.  Like here I am, to serve you.  How can I do so?  Let me know.

When I come from that place, then my clients know, without question, that I am on their side, first and foremost.  And new clients get my sincerity to serve them from a heart space, not a “pay my rent” space.

Recently, I received a tweet from a new follower that was so sincere, in which she actually visited my website to find out who I am beyond my Twitter profile, that I met her for lunch and have found a forever friend, possible future collaborator.

The power of love extends through our hearts, whether it is in the RW (Real World) or in the SMW (Social Media World) .

TIP #3 ~ Share accolades, complements & congrats! frequently, with smile icons to boot!  I actually prefer hearts, which is why it is a part of my logo, as seen above.  Why not liven up boring text?! 😉

Let’s take this tip to the RW.  When someone smiles at you, isn’t that an immediate lift of mood?  Even better, when someone compliments you, doesn’t that make you feel great inside?!

I’m not talking about insincerity here.  If you do not have something nice to say, or feel a smile in your heart, don’t fake it.  Fake comes through in the RW the same as in SMW.

However, if one of your social media friends posts something that they are proud of, like publishing a new book or blog, or receiving a promotion or losing 10 pounds or whatever, well, take a moment and send a “congrats!” message.

This can be as easy as clicking “like” on Facebook, or clicking “favorite” on Twitter, which will bookmark it for you as a reminder to respond, when you have the time to do so.

On a personal level, I find it hard to understand why it seems so difficult for people to share in the abundance of someone’s good news.  I wonder, is it because they are jealous, or just too caught up with their own stuff?

Here’s a quote I tweeted a few days ago, and it was retweeted several times, so it hit a chord.  Maybe this may provide some perspective here:

“Comparison is the thief of joy” ~ Dwight Edwards #BeYourself

TIP #4 ~ Respond when someone speaks to you!  Even if you are too busy to respond at the moment (one of the benefits of social media), or maybe you aren’t sure HOW to respond, make a mental or physical note to return later and… RESPOND!

When someone takes the time to engage with you, engage back.  Same as in the RW, right?

And remember, it is OK to agree to disagree.  Actually, through the SMW, people’s opinions and feelings are more transparent.  You can have coffee with a friend for years, talking about your lives, but did you know that they support gay marriage, for example?

They didn’t change, they are still the same person you like, right?  It’s OK for us to have different views, that’s what makes the world go round.  Actually, I see this as a HUGE benefit to the SMW, because it allows us to get out of our narrow life in order to expand our horizons and to open up to other races, cultures, religions, beliefs, etc., etc.!!  Believe me, that is a good thing. 🙂

So, instead of unfriending a friend on Facebook because you do not agree with their politics or religious beliefs, you can practice tolerance for another’s beliefs.  You would want that same respect ~ Golden Rule here!

For me, I follow some conservative right wingers on Twitter, so to get their perspective on things, since I am a love, peace and harmony left winger.  Helps me to learn more, open up my understanding more.

TIP #5 ~ Think & breathe before you type AND post! 

If you are in a bad mood, or feeling angry toward someone or something, take a walk.  Do yoga.  Meditate.  Hit a pillow.  Do NOT post!

Same goes for if you are feeling extra expressive due to some alcoholic persuasion, do not post!  I would even recommend removing your keyboard so that you do not get tempted.

It’s much easier to release frustration or rage behind a computer, which is why we must be extra careful here.

Once we post, it’s on the Internet forever.  We can’t take it away.  We can delete it later, but those who’ve already read it, well, they read it.

Bottom line.  Treat others with the same dignity and respect that you’d like to be treated with, and see how we can create a SMW with love, peace and harmony.

Yes, I do believe it can be so.  ‘Cause it is what we all really want for ourselves, therefore, we want it for each other.

Now let’s go out there and be that Outstanding Global Social Media Citizen!

Let’s bring in Peace on Social Media Earth <3