The dos and don’ts of social media according to an etiquette expert, including the three things you must NEVER share
Plenty of us enjoy documenting every moment of our waking lives on social media, but there are some things that you should never post online in the name of good manners
FORGET thinking before you speak, these days it's more about think before you post.
With social media becoming the go-to for announcements of births, deaths and marriages, sometimes it feels like the internet is just a messageboard for all and sundry.
Well, apparently it isn't.
Leading etiquette expert Diane Gottsman from The Protocol School of Texas has outlined the things you must NEVER post on social media - and they mostly focus on spoiling other people's big and precious moments.
Speaking to The Sun Online, she explained that posting anything online about other people's babies - including pregnancy - and being overly eager of posting photos from couple's weddings is strictly off limits.
She said: "For celebrations like weddings, you want to make sure you aren’t posting something the family members would not want to be mentioned publicly.
"People may not be invited because of different situations including spacing issues, cost and family relationships.
"Allow them to post first and follow their lead. Some people want their news mentioned all over social media while other people would prefer to keep it private.
"Some brides and grooms want their wedding to be hashtagged while others want a mobile phone free occasion."
Diane also explained that extreme care needs to be taken when posting about people discovering they are pregnant, plus the news of babies' birth and their names.
She said: "Babies' births are a joyous occasion and new parents generally want to spread the word to all of their friends and family.
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"Again, allow them to post the first pictures. You should never post a picture of a child or tag anyone without prior consent.
"It is not appropriate to post anyone else's personal information or photos before they announce their own 'big reveal'."
However, the rules slightly change when it comes to deaths.
While Diane says that many people can be (understandably) cagey about posting all their wedding info online, for funerals and death in general, Facebook can be really handy.
She said: "Regard to funerals, it’s a good way to let people you don’t speak too often know of the passing.
Social media do's and don'ts
DO ask permission before posting on social media about people's weddings, christenings and birthday parties
DO wait for parents to post about their newborns before you do
DO use social media to announce deaths and details of funerals - but keep it short and factual
DO be repsectful and thoughtful with ALL things you post online
DON'T reveal people's pregnancy news online
DON'T announce the birth of someone else's baby, or the tot's name
DON'T share a picture of a bride's wedding dress before she has
"Give facts and important dates and information but do so respectfully and in good taste."
In summary, Diane has this golden rule to make sure you don't cause social media upset - "always post with respect and discretion."
She added: "It's always most courteous to ask if you may post a photo, especially when it comes to children and weddings.
"These are very personal and some people may want to spread the news immediately while others will want to share it more discreetly."
Diane Gottsman is an etiquette expert and author of .
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