As the song says, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year!” and there is plenty going on in our lives and the lives of others this holiday season. As I’m sure you realize, etiquette does not take a winter break, in fact this is the time of year to practice showing gratitude and thankfulness in more ways than ever!
Today, I want to cover five different topics for social media etiquette and the holiday season. The holidays offer a unique opportunity to build people up and make them feel special, but on the flip side we can cause people a lot of pain with improper etiquette. Let’s get started ok?
1. Share Proper Pictures & Videos
This is especially true for holiday parties. If the party begins to get a little out of hand, people may do and say things they will later regret. Though you can’t control what people publish about themselves, please don’t make the mistake of sharing an inappropriate photo or video of someone who isn’t quite themselves. Consider actually leaving your phone in the car or by the table to remove the temptation.
2. It’s not Christmas for Everyone
While much of America celebrates Christmas, remember large groups of people also celebrate Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and other winter holidays. If you’re speaking to strangers, whether online or in person, a simple “Happy Holidays!” is polite and respectful, while covering all your bases. Now, if you know which holiday the person is celebrating, feel free to use an appropriate holiday greeting.
3. Giving & Receiving Gifts
When you’re out shopping for gifts, avoid the urge to post pictures or share with your networks what you’re picking up for loved ones. For one reason, you don’t want the recipient to find out early! Another reason is because people celebrate and give gifts at different times and different price ranges. Posting about how you just went on an expensive shopping spree may make people feel bad about their own offerings, to you or to others!
When receiving gifts, keep this same advice in mind. Avoid excessive celebrating or complaints about your gifts, simply write about how thankful you are to have received a gift from a loved one. Social media is a dangerous place to vent, whether you think the other person is active on facebook, twitter, or anything else.
4. Holiday Parties
One of the most enjoyable parts of the holiday season are the parties to attend! Whether for work, neighborhood, or family celebrations, keep in mind the rock-solid rules of etiquette and social grace. Be kind to others, aks more questions than talking about yourself, and don’t be the party drunk. From a social media standpoint, don’t be the person who starts tweeting or posting about another person’s unfortunate decisions or actions during a party, whether there are pictures involved or not.
Live-tweeting an embarrassing moment may come back to haunt you as much as if you had been the person intoxicated. As we talked about earlier, you may just want to leave your phone in the car or by the table to remove the temptation.
5. Social Media Interactions
As we move throughout the holiday season, and especially Christmas on the 25th, begin sending out holiday greetings through social media. Here are some ideas:
- Tweet, share, or post to someone and share the holiday spirit with them.
- Send a message (email, facebook, twitter) privately to someone, thanking them for a way they helped or encouraged you this year.
- Share a digital version of your holiday card.
- Reply to all similar greetings sent to you (in case you don’t anyway).
I hope you learned some great tips for making this holiday season a wonderful experience, both online and in-person. For more great etiquette tips, sign up for my email list! Happy Holidays!
