How to Get the Most Out of a Personal Facebook Account

Social networking on Facebook can be lots of fun.  Heck, it can even be downright addictive!  Recent research shows us that Facebook is good for our self-esteem, too.  Checking your Facebook once daily is probably a good idea, but I know there are others that are using it more often.  Here are some tips on how to make Facebook more fun, and less frustrating.

Review your “Wall”.  Go to your personal Facebook page and review your wall. What do you see?  How are you presented to your friends?  Are your posts interesting?  Have you posted a lot of the same thing or is there a variety of activity? 

“Poke” or “Send Message” to your friends and relatives you don't talk to very often. Let them know you’re thinking of them with a little personal attention every now and then.

“Unfriend” or clean out your Friends list every month or two.  Remove or “Unfriend” people who are inactive, irritate or annoy you or don't ever “Comment” on or “Like” anything you post.  "Unfriend” people who you would most likely not talk to if you bumped into them on the street. “Unfriend” toxic people on Facebook.  Toxic people are always negative, and bring you down.  They usually have negative posts and they are very pessimistic.  They use Facebook to vent and rant.

Ask your friends to “Suggest Friends” for you. They know you best and they know which friends may be enjoyed by you and vice versa. Accept these requests if you feel comfortable enough. Reviewing your friends list every month or two will help you eliminate those who you are not connecting with. 

"Hide" those friends who post too often for your liking but you still enjoy sharing and staying connect with on Facebook.  “Hide” those applications (like Farmville for example) that you don’t participate in.

“Ignore” game or application requests if you truly don't like or have time to play Facebook games. Most people don’t even realize that you ignore this because they most likely expect some friends to ignore the request. I personally rarely accept requests for games. On the other hand,  if you are into playing games on Facebook, challenge your friends to a friendly game of Poker or Scrabulous for example. Just know that they may not have time or be interested.

Facebook Chat is also another way to “instant message” your friends.  If your friends are online at the same time as you, you can type them messages in real time.  These little impromptu visits can be fun.

Join Facebook Groups that may be of interest to you. You may make some new friends with similar interests, too.

“Like” Facebook Pages so you will get the latest posts from topics you are interested in on your News Feed.

Avoid posting inappropriate content.  Imagine your grandmother, employer or younger relative reading your posts and viewing your pictures. Don’t post inappropriate pictures of yourself.  If someone else posts a picture of you that you don’t like, ask them to remove it from Facebook.  Don't use profanity and NEVER say anything bad about anyone.  Don’t bully, harass, spread rumours or challenge others to fights.  You can vent but never make someone else look bad. For example-you may hate your boss, teacher or neighbour but keep those comments to yourself.  You can say you’ve had a bad day, but you don’t need to divulge the details.  You never know when or if this will be held against you. 

Facebook Holiday or Hiatus:  Be aware that Facebook can be addictive.  Take a Facebook Holiday (deactivate your account) every once in a while to explore other things.  It does a person good.  I have done this and it was very good.

What other things can you think of that will help you get the most out of your personal Facebook account?

Have a great day!

~ Angela Gentile