Five Things You Won’t See Me Post On Social Media

Being part of an online community is a wonderful experience. It enables you to meet new people, learn about different companies and services, and become more familiar with the world around you. In my own online community, I get to interact with military families, spouses, and service members from all over the world. It has been so much more fulfilling  and fun than I ever imagined it could be. 

But within every online community, there are people who have rather different views, morals, and habits than we do, and they’re not afraid to share those opinions. I’d be lying if I said that out of all the posts I’ve ever written, I didn’t hesitate before I hit that little “publish” button. I have certainly jumped outside of my comfort zone a time or two, and in most circumstances I never regretted it. But It’s no different than going out in public, and putting yourself out there for the world to interpret and judge. We might sit behind a computer while we do it, but our blogs and articles are a very raw version of ourselves. And it’s important to know your own boundaries.

When I began this blog, I had a lot of boundaries. There were things I never planned to even comment on, and I’ve blown through those walls entirely. I never imagined I would share as much as I have about my own military relationship, but before I knew it, I was sharing it with the whole world. But I do still have some topics that I steer clear from, and I tend to cringe when I see them plastered all over someone else’s page. Here are the topics you’ll never see me post about:

My Political Opinion

Some of you are probably thinking, “Yeah right, you totally have.” And you’re right to some extent. I have posted the politics of the military and made some comments on current events. But you’ll never see me entertain the whole “Clinton vs. Trump” situation. I just won’t participate in that. The only people who will know my political opinion are my immediate family and the machines that assess my ballot.

Inappropriate Language

Don’t get me wrong, I swear. Who doesn’t? But a blog or a website is like a lengthy, detailed resume that’s posted for the world to see. At my old job my boss found my blog by mistake, because someone he was friends with shared my post on Facebook. It’s that easy. I always strive to make each post personal and informative at the same time, because if someone comes across my blog looking for answers, comfort, reassurance, etc. than the last thing they need to waste their time reading is a post full of crap.

I started this blog and chose content with the hope that it would help someone in some way. It’s like the saying goes, “Be the person you needed when you were younger.” When I first became a “milso” I had no clue what on earth I was even doing. And now that I have a grip on this life, I’m even more aware that there are people out there going through the same things that I was 3+ years ago. I’m here to offer any answers that I have, so I keep it “clean” per say.

Drama

We’ve all seen the Twitter wars break out from time to time, and although some of them are pretty hilarious, you won’t see me taking part. You won’t see me posting any drama, whether it be from my personal life or someone else’s. It’s petty, and it might feel good to write about it and get it out, but it should never go further than a draft. Some of my posts have gotten pretty personal in terms of situations I’ve faced or overcome, but I always try to keep a positive outlook on it.

I will also never “out” someone on my blog, or any social media account. I’ve seen people make an entire post that is quite obviously about 1 person. It’s ridiculous, and it doesn’t change anything that you dislike about them. If I have something necessary to say, I handle that privately if at all. And when I see people partake in that type of behavior, it can definitely change my opinion of them in some situations.

Financial Status

This is a big one for me, and a personal pet peeve. When people share their finances openly, whether it be how much they make or how much they owe, all I can do is cringe. If you just bought a $700 bag or a $40,000 car, and you feel the need to tell me the many reasons why you can afford it, I’ll typically tune it out. 1. Because it makes me feel uncomfortable to know about your money. And 2. What’s the point? New things are great, but I don’t need to know how much you spent, so please just keep the actual dollar amount of it to yourself. I don’t need to know how much you now have to pay per month to afford to get to work, because that’s not my business.

I don’t need to know how much you make per hour, month, year, etc. either. I just don’t. Finances are extremely private to me. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy nice things and the occasional fancy dinner, like anyone. But you won’t see me bragging about it. I think the biggest reason why I have an issue with this is because the motives behind it are always really vain. People typically share their financial status to make others feel bad, or to make themselves feel good. In many situations, especially when it’s a professional setting, it just makes them look immature. No matter the reason, finances are between you, the bank, and the person you spend your money with/on. End of story.

Revealing Content

The word “revealing” carries a lot of meanings with it in this context. I never post revealing photos, but that’s a no-brainer for most. But I’m also extremely careful about those sneaky location settings when I post anything online. I never post my exact location while I’m there, because I’ve learned the hard way. There’s nothing worse than posting your location at a coffee shop by mistake and having someone you really don’t want to be around show up. It may seem harmless, but as I stated before, the Internet is full of people.

I’m also careful about what I say in terms of location in my blog posts. I have tons of pictures that I use, and it would be extremely easy for someone to find where they were taken if they really wanted to. I never post anything that could jeopardize Kyle’s job due to the content either. I never post where I live, work, or frequent, nor do I post that information about my family or friends. It’s more of a personal preference, and I don’t judge anyone who chooses otherwise. I would just rather keep those things private, while the rest of my life is so open to all of you.

What are some things that you avoid posting on your social media accounts? Have you had any situations where you regretted posting something?