Social Media Etiquette

After an awkward moment when he accidentally overshared something private, Rahul learns the do's and don'ts of posting, commenting, and sharing on social media.

Meanings in Rahul, Friend

Key words and phrases

postto share content on social mediaHe posts photos from his trips every week.

commenta written reply under someone's postShe left a kind comment on his photo.

like/reactto show approval on a postHis post got a hundred likes overnight.

shareto repost someone else's content to your own followersHe shared the article with his friends.

tagto link someone's name to a post or photoDon't tag me in that picture, please.

privacy settingscontrols that decide who can see your contentHe changed his privacy settings to friends only.

public profilean account visible to anyone, not just followersHer profile is public, so anyone can see her posts.

direct message (DM)a private message sent on social mediaHe sent her a direct message instead of commenting publicly.

trollsomeone who posts to provoke or upset others onlineIgnore the trolls in the comments.

blockto stop someone from contacting or seeing your profileShe blocked the account after the rude comments.

reportto flag inappropriate content to the platformHe reported the fake account.

oversharingsharing too much personal information onlineOversharing your location can be risky.

screenshota captured image of what's on your screenShe took a screenshot of the conversation.

viralspreading quickly and widely onlineThe video went viral within a day.

hashtaga word or phrase preceded by # used to categorize postsHe added a hashtag to reach more people.

followersomeone who subscribes to see your postsHe has a few thousand followers.

unfollowto stop following someone's postsShe unfollowed the account after losing interest.

digital footprintthe trail of information you leave onlineThink about your digital footprint before posting.

respectfulpolite and considerate toward othersAlways stay respectful, even in disagreements online.

delete postto remove something you've sharedHe deleted the post after realizing it was a mistake.

Useful sentences

Ask Did you see the comment he left on my post?
Answer Yes, it seemed a bit rude, to be honest.
Ask Should I tag you in this photo?
Answer Please don't, I'd rather keep it off my profile.
Ask Why did you block that account?
Answer They kept leaving disrespectful comments.
Ask Is your profile public or private?
Answer I keep it private now, after some oversharing in the past.
Ask Can you send me that in a direct message instead?
Answer Sure, I'll DM you right away.
Ask Why did this video go viral so fast?
Answer It was funny, and a lot of people shared it.
Ask Should I report this troll?
Answer Yes, reporting is better than replying to them.
Ask Did you take a screenshot of that message?
Answer Yes, just in case I need it later.
Ask Why did you delete your last post?
Answer I realized it revealed too much personal information.
Ask How many followers do you have now?
Answer About two thousand, and it's slowly growing.

Dialogue

FriendHey, did you see the comment someone left on your post?

RahulYeah, it was pretty rude. I think I'll just delete the post.

FriendThat might be best. You could also block the account.

RahulGood idea. I don't want trolls following my profile.

FriendAlso, maybe check your privacy settings — is your profile still public?

RahulYes, actually. I should probably make it private.

FriendThat'll help. And be careful about oversharing your location too.

RahulYou're right, I mentioned exactly where I was earlier.

FriendJust stay respectful and careful, and you'll be fine online.

RahulThanks, I really needed this reminder.

Common mistakes

Saying "I will message in his inbox" instead of "I'll send him a direct message" or "I'll DM him."
Saying "someone did comment bad" instead of "someone left a rude/mean comment."
Saying "this post is getting viral" instead of "this post is going viral."
Saying "remove the post" instead of "delete the post" for the specific social media action.
Saying "I am not following him" to mean the action of unfollowing, instead of "I unfollowed him."
Saying "block from calling" instead of "block the account" when talking about social media, not phone calls.

Quick quiz

1. What does "troll" mean online?

2. Complete: "She ___ the account after the rude comments."

3. What is "oversharing"?

4. A private message sent on social media is called a ___.

5. What does "viral" mean?

6. Complete: "Always stay ___, even in disagreements online."

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