As the saying goes, “if you don’t have anything good to say, then don’t say anything at all.” The problem though is that sometimes it’s hard to figure out what is good and what is bad. Especially with the advent of social media sites like Facebook and Twitter especially, updating or sharing something that won’t offend the masses can be a difficult, and sometimes tricky dilemma.With that said, does that mean social media needs self censorship?

‘Self Censorship’ is commonly defined as “censoring ones own work, such as blogs or written work, out of fear or deference to the sensibilities of others without an authority directly pressuring one to do so.” If you have ever posted something on your Twitter or Facebook account that you later took down because you decided it would offend others, you have practiced self censorship. While a majority may not be familiar with the term itself, many practice it in their daily lives.

Should You Practice Self Censorship?

While there are may be differing opinions on whether or not you should practice self censorship, the fact remains that it ultimately comes down to a multitude of factors some of which include ones professional situation and personal relationships.

One example which many encounter when it comes to using social media is how to handle adding co-workers into your own network. Whether it’s through Facebook friend requests or Twitter followers, it can be a delicate situation to say the least.

If you are using Facebook, it becomes a little easier to manage though because of their fully customizable privacy options. Thanks to Mark Zuckerberg and his team, you can decide what they see and when they see it. Remember that crazy night in Vegas? Yup, your boss never has to find out about it thanks to Facebook Privacy.

Twitter on the other hand makes things a little more difficult. While there is the ability to ‘lock’ your updates on Twitter, that still doesn’t mean your co-worker won’t ask you why you won’t let them follow you. Because Twitter focuses on open conversation and networking, practicing self censorship on Twitter means watching what you tweet out and being careful about what you say about your work. Yes, you may hate those 2 hour meetings at 8AM in the morning, but just remember that someone is always watching your updates, especially on Twitter.

It’s Not Against Freedom of Speech, It’s Common Sense

By now, some people may argue that we should be able to say whatever we want because of our right to freedom of speech. While this is 100% true, not saying that your aunt looks ugly after her new haircut isn’t against freedom of speech, its just common sense. Everyday we find things that will annoy, pester, and bother us, but we need to remember that the things we say and do might offend others in the same manner.

Social media is unique in that it gives you an outlet to practically the whole world. You can say anything you want and someone is bound to listen. Censoring what you write or share isn’t a bad thing, it just shows some common sense.

Joseph is the Director of Marketing at Viralogy.com & works in social media & sports consulting. Read more about him at http://JosephAYi.com .

Tags: Censoring, Facebook, Self Censorship, Social Media, Twitter