NEW Top 5 SHOCKING Mistakes You Make on Social Media Every Day: Keeping it Real

Snopes.com dispels a recent fake controversial viral
story about public bathrooms.

In our world of social media obsession, everything and every thought being tweeted, vined, snapchatted, and instagrammed. Most individuals do not know how to communicate electronically. Relationships can get destroyed, false information is passed on as truth, and anger seems to be the most prevalent emotion, especially during this heated political season in the US.

So here are the Top 5 Shocking Mistakes That You Make on Social Media

1. You Post Every Thought without Thinking

We've all seen it. A bad break-up, a fight with a loved one, a bad day at work...Some people just post and post and post and post and don't think about the permanence of online posts. Even if you "delete" the post, it is still there, somewhere. And the juiciest information may have already flown through cyberspace via other social media sites before you have a chance to retract your statements. If you are heated, don't post. It's that simple.

If you can't read your post with a smile

on your face, then delete it!

2. You Take Everything Too Seriously

This past election cycle, I personally have had several messy arguments over posts I have made that were not meant to be serious, at all. They were just up for fun, or just for satire, or because I have a strange sense of humor and find some things funny. It's social media. If something really, really offends you, then take the time to call someone and talk about it before you overreact. And if you don't have their phone number, then you probably aren't enough of a friend to warrant getting mad about it in the first place.

3. You Think the Internet is Real

It is a virtual world. It is NOT real. Your BFF's Facebook page may be all rosy and happy and full of amazing feats like climbing Everest every weekend, but in reality she probably lives as dull a life as you do. She just doesn't post it. If you see a post that makes you angry, don't jump to ridiculous conclusions and build up a massive conspiracy in your head. Talk it out with the person over coffee. If you would never meet for coffee in the first place, then you probably aren't a real friend anyway, so just chalk it up to a miscommunication and move on.

4. You Think Internet Memes and News Stories are Real

Next time you see a story that angers you or a meme that is controversial, take a moment to Google the site or check out the story via a site like Snopes, which specializes in dispelling fake news stories. It honestly takes less than two minutes to find out if a story is real. If the story is only being pushed by a company, "non-profit" organization with an agenda, a political group of any kind, or the story actually goes to an Error message, then it is not a real story. Instead it may be hidden advertising or even a link to a malicious website with malware. On any given day, at least 75% of the stories and memes on my newsfeed are fake. With a little research, you may find the same on your newsfeed.

5. Be Real and Cut the Screen Time

I challenge you to cut your "screen time" in half and use that extra time to cultivate real relationships offline. Take the time to have coffee with a friend, join a club, volunteer, write letters, call someone just to chat, or simply walk in the park and meet new people. Too many people rely on the Internet to maintain their personal and business relationships. Social media is an excellent tool for keeping in touch with old friends, finding new customers for your business, or even inviting everyone to your 45th birthday party, but it's no substitution for real community and relationships.