It is tempting to use your social media as a personal blog to air all of your grievances, especially when that person can see what you are saying and you don’t have to tell them directly, but it is almost always a bad idea. Whether this is a personal social media account or one set to public so that people following your business can also read it, it is best to avoid altogether. Here are some reasons to avoid putting your dirty laundry on social media.
It is Frowned Upon
Simply put, certain types of conversations are frowned upon on social media, even on a personal account that is set to private. If you run a business online, you might have some people related to your business that are on your personal Facebook or Twitter account. You have likely networked and become friends with these people, who are now following you and can see everything you post. While you should feel free to be yourself on your personal social media profiles, do you really want to be the person that talks about your relationship and starts name-calling? Is this something you want to show to your colleagues? It causes a lot of drama and nobody wants to read it.
You Can Ruin Your Credibility
Not only is it frowned upon in general, but it can really ruin your credibility. It is tempting to just want to vent on social media and get opinions from others, but remember how many people are reading these posts. You have to be careful with what you post when you want to appear as a professional. Even someone who doesn’t work online, and is airing dirty laundry on a personal account, has the risk of a co-worker, supervisor, or potential hiring manager seeing their social media account, which can really ruin their credibility and reputation as a mature adult.
Online Arguments and Drama Are Started
Airing your dirty laundry is rarely just posting something and nobody reacting to it. You are putting it out there, so you can expect people to respond. This is usually where a big part of the problem lies. You post something on your Facebook account, and others start responding to you in good and bad ways. Sure, some people might just be giving you their sympathy, support, and even bringing in their own take on it. However, others are going to begin arguing with you and starting a back-and-forth conversation you probably don’t want plastered all over your social media page. Also remember that when certain posts become more active, they show up on other people’s walls if people responding are friends of theirs. Your seemingly private post has just been made public.
It Comes Off as Being Disrespectful
When you are talking about personal situations between you and the people involved, you are not only affecting yourself, but others as well. Even if the person you are talking about can’t see what you are posting, others can, and it makes it look as if you are being disrespectful to them. The last thing people want is for their mistakes to be told to anyone and everyone. Others also understand this and they might look at you differently for bringing this personal situation or information out into the open for everyone to see. You want to be someone people admire and look up to, not someone who is being disrespectful to others.
With social media, there is a line between sharing personal information and airing your dirty laundry. Be careful not to cross that line.
