Are you aware of the danger of complaining on social media such as Facebook or Twitter.? People complain all the time in lots of ways. Not only do we complain verbally and in person, but we also tend to vent through email correspondence and on social media. Written complaints might actually be more detrimental to you than the verbal ones. There are a lot of reasons you want to break this habit if it’s something you do regularly.
Damaged Reputation
Complaining can damage your reputation. It gives you the appearance of someone who never has anything positive to say. There are many things that can be implied through the act of always moaning and groaning. People might think you’re lazy, only wanting to complain about a problem without actually making the effort to do something about it. They could view you as untrustworthy. After all, if you’re complaining about someone else, why should folks believe you won’t complain about them also? Complaining on social media offers a written record of your character that could be misinterpreted by many in countless ways.
Lost Opportunities
These interpretations of your character can lead to lost opportunities. Current co-workers and superiors are likely to see some of your social media posts, even if they’re not your friends. It’s easy to forget which privacy settings allow what type of viewing. Your boss could be a friend of a friend whom you’ve tagged in a rant. Prospective employers are known to research social media profiles when making hiring decisions. Do you want one of your first impressions to be of the endless complaining you do on Facebook? You could truly be hurting your chances of getting that great job. If you’re a freelancer or even if you’re single and dating, you could be setting yourself up for lost opportunities. A potential client or date is likely to check out your online profiles to get a feel for your character. You don’t want to miss out on something great before even getting a chance to get started.
Never Goes Away
Finally, as you probably know, the internet is forever. Screen captures and caches are always available. These things could be found months, or even years after you’ve vented about an issue on social media. You don’t want people you may not even know yet to form an opinion of you based on these moments of frustration, do you? Consider that before engaging in mindless complaining online.
These are merely a few reasons to keep your online complaining to a minimum. Social media complaints can do damage in a myriad of ways that last years into the future. Don’t risk it.
