Filipinos love to share. It’s part of our culture to share updates about our lives to our families and friends, and we like getting updates from them, too, so it’s not surprising that this trait is echoed in our online behavior.
Social networking in the Philippines is not limited to teenagers. In fact, Ros Juan, Social Media Director of Movent (formerly NetBooster Asia), a fully integrated digital advertising company, says that “Moms are an active demographic in social networking sites. In the Philippines, the most active demographic are females aged 18-35.”
So, what do these women share on social networks and which platforms do they use the most? According to Juan, the top social networking sites Filipino women use are Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. However, YouTube is mainly used for consuming video content and not much for sharing. Instagram and Pinterest are also gaining popularity.
Donna Donor, work-at-home mom to a six-year old son says “On Facebook, I usually share my daily adventures with my son, and I also get to be updated with my friends and relatives too.” Similarly, Melissa Encarnacion, a treasury manager and mom to two kids ages 8 and 5, says that Facebook “is where I like to post what is happening with me or my loved ones during the day, share good quotes that I find and keep in touch with my friends and family who are far away. Most of the people that I know are on Facebook so it's easier to find everyone there.”
There are also those who have discovered the benefits of having a Facebook page. According to Teresa Gumap-as Dumadag, an author, freelance writer and mom to two boys, “I think it's a must for business owners/mompreneurs to have a Facebook Page since it's here that most of their customers can be found.”
Twitter, on the other hand, is mostly used to keep track of news and current events. Nadia de Leon, a researcher with a two-year-old son says, “I love Twitter. You get to know what the latest news is just by browsing through your timeline.” Aside from that, Twitter is also used for faster interaction online. Vanessa Chua Salas, full-time homemaker and mom to a two-year-old boy says, “I've been using Facebook forever and I share almost everything there, but I've started using Twitter and discovered the joys of instant interaction with interesting people.”
Those who enjoy taking and sharing nice photos have found joy though in both Instagram and Pinterest. Instagram is gaining popularity because Filipinos are visual and love to share photos. Pinterest, on the other hand, is where women find inspiration for just about anything online. Ginger Arboleda, an events manager, blogger and mom to a three-month old daughter shares, “I love taking pictures of my newborn, who is such a fashionista. These networks are what I use in lieu of a scrapbook for my growing baby. I also love taking pictures of food and events, which I share as teasers for upcoming blog posts.”
With everything that moms are sharing online, where do we draw the line? Is there such a thing as oversharing?
According to Juan, there is, especially when it comes to 1) Frequency (sharing too often) and 2) Content (too personal or private information). Juan says that to avoid potential dangers, we should take note of what we share and who we share it with. To better safeguard yourself and your family, Juan shares these 10 social sharing rules to follow.
1. Read and understand the privacy settings of each social networking site you use.
2. Categorize your fans and followers.
3. Customize your privacy settings. Tweak them for posts that are meant for a limited audience.
4. If you'd like to keep in close contact with your family by sharing detailed information and lots of photos, consider social networking apps that have a limited audience like Path or WeChat.
5. Choose your social networking sites carefully.
6. Periodically check who your Twitter followers are. Be selective on who you add as friends on Facebook. Know who you are interacting with online.
7. Think twice before you post anything. Likewise, be careful about clicking links. Make sure they are from reputable sources or sites.
8. Do not give other people access to your accounts.
9. Check what other people are posting about you. You may not be oversharing but other people might be oversharing about you.
10. Think about what you post about your children and who will see these posts. Just as you won’t willingly give private information to strangers, do the same online. Don’t post the name of your child’s school, your address, telephone numbers, etc.
Take these simple rules to heart to protect yourself and your family. While it’s fun taking photos, people don’t need to know every single activity you’re doing. Remember that social networking sites are public domain so be mindful of your audience’s feelings and sensibilities. When in doubt, just use your common sense.Image from phinneybischoff.com
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