How many non-work emails do you get in a day? How about texts? Facebook messages? Tweets? Voice messages? The world we live in has become one hectic digital and social mess. Staying on top of these things is a daily chore and a stressful one at that. So, what exactly is acceptable when it comes to online protocol?
Here’s what we think:
You forget to answer an e-mail
Important work emails aside, it’s probably alright if you don’t respond immediately. If the situation were a true emergency, wouldn’t the sender pick up the phone and call? Many people seem to get stressed out over their inbox filling up, but learning to prioritize and organize your email will go a long way to reduce this stress.
You choose NOT to accept a Facebook friend request or follow a follower on Twitter
Both of these social platforms have been out there for quite some time now and most of us are fine if our Friend request isn’t immediately accepted or someone we’re following on Twitter doesn’t return the favor. It’s PERFECTLY FINE to ignore or even decline a friend request. Your Facebook and Twitter accounts should be customized to your own level of comfort – don’t worry what other people think!
You call somebody back without listening to their voice message first
Like you have the time to listen about Uncle Jack and how his dog got out of the kennel again and ransacked the neighborhood. Most people appreciate the call back and are completely understanding if you didn’t get the message. More often than not, they were planning on re-telling you the content anyway.
You choose not to respond to a text where there’s no question
No problem! Keeping the text conversation going out of duty is completely crazy. Isn’t the point of texting to be brief? When you’re done, you’re done.
You wait for that quiet moment to unfriend someone you really don’t engage with
9 times out of 10, they’re not going to even notice. And if you don’t really talk to them anyway, then why worry? Once again, your Facebook account is for YOU, not for them.
You miss out on a friend’s event because the invitation was sent out through Facebook
Anybody who has a Facebook account should know that the average user probably gets 20-50 emails a day notifying them of what’s going on through the social network. With that much activity going on, it’s pretty easy to overlook an event. Although we are a fan of using online event invites, they aren’t for everyone. Most people are pretty understanding, and like earlier, if the event were really important, wouldn’t it make sense for a phone call or other form of invitation?
You “unsubscribe” from….
Wouldn’t it be nice if only the ‘important’ stuff got to you? Well, we know that isn’t the case. Daily deals, news updates, friends’ statuses, company ads and much more hit us every day. Unsubscribing from these things is perfectly fine, including status updates from friends and family.
Why? Simple – all of this is too overwhelming. So take control. If you NEVER buy a daily deal from your online email promo company, then maybe you should Unsubscribe. If you’re tired of your Aunt Suzie sending you jokes on a daily basis, maybe it’s time to ask her to remove you from her email distribution list.
Your time and your attention are both valuable. Take control of your online and social presence and customize them both to your own level of comfort.
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2 Responses to.. “Surviving Online Tech Expectations” |
Be certain when you “unFriend” someone on Facebook…you may not like what they post and you can hide their posts as is mentioned in this great article, but they may be your next potential client!
Great post Chris, and very true. The busier, louder, and more chaotic it gets the more we’re going to need a plan to manage it all and make decisions where and what we’re going to do online. Social media is kind of like a big buffet where the dishes keep coming. You can’t possibly eat everything, especially if you grew up in a time where mom insisted you clean up your plate!
The online platforms want us all to hookup with everyone on the planet and for good reason. They’re trying to figure out the best way to monetize it. However, if we’re going to make it work for us as a communications tool we need to find out if our audience is there and which tool is the best to engage them with be it for friendship, sharing an interest, entertainment, or business.