Social Media Etiquette

Emily Post, the grand dame of social etiquette, died in 1960. Well before many of the modern day luxuries we take for granted. She never could have imagined how far we have come with computers, the internet, iPhones, texting, and Facebook. Since no one has stepped up to take her place, I’ve taken it upon myself to provide you with a guide to social media etiquette. This post with focus mainly on dating and sex apps but look for future posts about Facebook, Twitter etc.

The term etiquette can bring to mind uptight rules and holding a tea cup with your pink out. This is not that kind of etiquette. This is an honest look at real world situations. Let's dive in shall we!

App Etiquette: Whether you're on a Droid or an iPhone you have access to apps like Growlr, Scruff, Grindr, BoyAhoy, Manhunt, Recon, and Bender.(amongst others) Chatting with guys is easy and convenient but you can unintentionally piss someone off by how you do or don't respond. Here are my tips for maintaining some class of your phone.

Rule 1: If he want to see my private pics, unlocking G rated pictures is meaningless. Private=Naked.

Growlr gives you the ability to have private pictures. (this feature varies from app to app) If you have private pictures they should be naked pictures. At best, one cock shot and one ass shot respectively. You don't have to have private pics and I have no problem with anyone who chooses that option. My problem is when someone unlocks there pictures and they are face shots from the beach or close ups at your sister's wedding. When I see the message *Private Photo's Have Been Unlocked* I expect to see cock and/or ass. When I don't I get annoyed.

Rule 2: If he unlocks his pictures without saying hello first, I am under no obligation to unlock mine. (Nude or un-nude)

Plain and simple. Just because he unlocks his cock shots does not mean I need to unlock mine. A better approach is to start a conversation to see if the other person is interested first. 

Rule 3: Make the most of your profile picture

A good profile picture can make a shocking difference. If you're not getting a lot of hits try changing up your pictures until you find one that's a hit. Once you find the magic shot keep it for as long as possible. However, if your looks change so should your picture.

Rule 4: Be honest

This is true is all respects but specifically with regard to relationship status. If you have a boyfriend your profile should clearly say so. For some reason a lot my friends who are in a relationship get bent out of shape when I press this point. There is NOTHING worse for a single guy then chatting with someone for weeks only to find out he already has a partner. It's like getting kicked in the balls. If you're not up front from the very first conversation you're a douche. There is a relationship status box for a reason. Partnered people will say that some guys won't talk to them if they know they are already taken. Tough shit. When a man's profile says he's not interested in men with boyfriend's it means on more then one occasion he's fallen for and gotten his heart broken by a partnered guy.

Rule 5: A little response goes a long way

If you take anything away from this article I hope it is this rule. This is true across all types of social media and modern communication. It can be broken down into two parts. Responding to people you know and responding to people you don't know. First, we'll deal with people you don't know. If you get a ping from a stranger and you're genuinely not interested a simple Thank You or No Thanks is enough. If it's someone from across the country whom you'll never meet then no response if required at all. Sending a response may lead them on into thinking you're interested. Now to the important part, if someone you know sends a text, private message, or email then you should respond to them. When you send a response it shows respect and maturity. Flaking out and forgetting to respond sends the signal that you don't care enough about someone to type back. When I've confronted people about this in the past, they have always said that their intention was never to ignore me. It was just a simple case of absent mindedness. Good etiquette is not always the easy road and it may require you to overcome your forgetfulness. I can tell you from personal experience that I have almost ended friendships because they didn't type a message back. On a side note, a late response is always better then no response.

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