Social Media Group Etiquette – by Nelle Onwuchekwa

There are 9 things that make a group active and interesting: Group Etiquette

1. Always learn to appreciate other people’s posts, even if they are not your friend: It makes them feel important and encouraged to come up with something more positive.
2.  Never run people down on the platform in a group chat: You will cause them to withdraw and will never come up with their objective views on issues.
3. When you see something you don’t like from a member, inbox the person: Don’t attack him/her on the platform publicly.
4. Never insult or use unpleasant languages on members: You expose your uncultured manners and attitude to people and may turn the platform to combat ground.
5. Be quick to say sorry and apologize when u have erred: It helps to dose down the tension which your utterances must have created.
6. Don’t try to enforce your ideas or suggestions on members: Nobody has monopoly of knowledge, allow majority conclusions to prevail on issues.
7. Never settle scores with anybody on a general group chat: You will give others the opportunity to take sides, thereby causing others to withdraw.
8. When anyone is celebrating: He/she may not need to be your friend before you celebrate with that person. It’s the spirit of brotherhood.
9. Some have the gift of talking and others the gift of reading: Learn to contribute to the group when necessary. Even if it is just using the symbol 👍… It makes people know that you appreciate the group.

There are 3 types of posts you may see on a group chat:

1. Offensive posts: Don’t attack the person, it could be a mistake, but you can attack the posts.
2. Inspirational/educative posts: Commend the person. Don’t just read and keep quiet.
3. Meaningless/wrongly uninformed posts: Start by appreciating the writer, then correct the information, but don’t hush him up with condemnation.