Why Social Media is Like Your Mother-In-Law
Posted by Beth Hrusch on Mon, Dec 07, 2009
Maybe I should be more specific. Social media has many good qualities. But it also 
possesses some potentially nasty ones. I don't mean to be hyperbolic, and yeah, maybe you're getting some good publicity from social media, but let's face it- it's just waiting to get mean.
Here's one reason why social media is like your mother-in-law: social media never forgets anything stupid you do in its presence. Furthermore, social media, and anyone using it, is not going to be afraid to bring this point up in front of a few thousand of your closest friends. For this reason, it is extremely important to exercise great caution when using social media.
Major gaffes aside, social media will scrutinize even little things. Figuratively, you will need to tuck your shirt in and use your best manners at the table. When you're using social media, make sure the action you are considering would pass the judgment of, well, your mother-in-law. Anything you do should be polite. And be careful when using humor. Make sure that whatever you say can be brought up in polite conversation.
It's not all negative reasons why social media is like your mother-in-law. Maybe she makes good cookies, or watches your kids. Social media can benefit you too. Social media can give you great publicity, and sometimes might even say something nice about you to your friends and associates when you're not looking.
Social media also has a number of other little known talents: dropping in on you when you're not expecting it (a late-night tweet, perhaps?) aging rapidly, and being completely out of style unbelievably quickly.
When used properly, these harmful effects can be mitigated. But to the bumbling person newly wed to modern technology, it's still a force to be reckoned with. Much like your mother in law.