Ten social networking facts you MUST know

Dhiraj Kumar, author of The Asocial Network writes exclusively for Rediff.com on the social networking tips that you MUST know.

The fact that you are reading this article, means that you are somehow  related to this infinite platform called social networking for your daily dose of societal needs.

You may also be tempted to check your profile all the time in search of ever eluding comments and posts directly related to you. You may also be having a very good fan following and good bunch of close, bubbly and effervescent friends, who are more than happy to like your posts and comment on your status every time you chose to communicate.

You are having all the fun on social networking but somehow missing something which you think is possessed by others. You must first understand that there is no substitute of real interactions.

Social networking is just a digital medium that seeks to prolong or even accentuate this communication process, with the help of digital media contents like pictures, messages and comments.

Illustrations: Uttam Ghosh and Dominic Xavier

So what exactly is social networking? Quite simply put, it is just a platform that first seeks to build relatedness amongst its userbase by allowing them to open account and then provide unique features and concepts that are especially designed to engage people's attention.

Social networking thrives on the compulsion of its user base to exhibit a virtual living, on the other hand, its user base are all the more happy in the company of their individual accounts intricately linked with hundred others while performing the most typical of human behaviour.

You account on social networking is just a projected image of your real existence. It does not make you popular just because you have chosen to be vocal about all your worldly feelings. Neither does it make you an unpopular just because you have chosen to use it sparingly.

Like all software, social networking, too has a weakness or I would say limitation -- regardless of the effort you put in on social networking to stay relevant in your friend circle or however hard you try to impress others with your charisma, in the end what matters to you  is what you are actually doing in your real life.

Social networking does not create new friends neither does it breed hostility or ill-will all on its own. If you are having a good camaraderie with your friends and colleague, it would show on social networking. Similarly if you have chosen to be not very sociable in reality then your profile too would reflect this.

Pictures are the power horse of all social networking websites. They rule the roost for the owners of this platform by providing the most engaging form of all human interactions. People are involuntarily driven towards good looking pictures, which may or may not be those of their acquaintance or friends. Having a good profile picture  goes a long way in creating a unique, affable and liking  personality.

Overdoing is a sign of desperation and loneliness. Do not try to smother your friends by consistently  updating your wall with all sorts of one-liners, photographs and videos. You should be selective and discretional in all your comments which helps in creating a distinct, powerful, articulated  and unique personality. 

No doubt, that among all media of social exchange, the written words have the distinct capability of appearing more powerful and impressive than all others. And the fact that people can actually read your comments  and messages over and over again, makes it imperative that you do not commit silly mistakes. Besides you can score brownie points by being humorous and intelligent.

Whenever you are communicating with others on social networking, you are trying to  project an image that should reconcile with your true existence. Most of the times people are seen going overboard or trying too much to impress their friends. This is often interpreted as your weakness the result of having a less stronger personality.

Resist from posting sundry photographs of you and your family, doing all sorts of daily routine work. Resist from posting obsence comments ; avoid liking and commenting on sexually explicit contents. Remember, people do not like to be associated with a psychopath or a voyeur, because they have a feeling that they are being watch by their close friends all the time.

Social networking is not entertainment. You indulge yourself when you play games, or go out with your family or simply watch a movie with your friends. You just overburden your mind by constantly seeking feedback from your friends on social networking. If you do not get this feedback instantaneously, you are down, and  you trigger some actions.  You keep on sensing the mood of the public space, until your mind get bored and you log out.