Leadership Skills: The Art of Being Accountable on Social Media...

We all keep hearing this about social media: it is a two-edged sword. It can drain your energy or elevate your exposure.

In this digitally connected world, social media is an indispensable part of our lives. Almost every one of us has an account on at least one social media platform.

A dimension to ponder here is: how many of us stay accountable on social media?

Well, isn’t it a point to introspect?

Before I talk in detail about this, here are mind-boggling social media statistics that explain why we should care about social media accountability.

Social Media: A Sea of Information

Social media is an ocean of information and data. Everyday millions of posts are made and shared on all social platforms.

Social Pilot finds that:

·????????2 million posts, articles, and videos are published on LinkedIn every day.

·????????The total number of tweets sent per day is 500 million.

·????????More than 100 million photos are uploaded onto Instagram each day.

·????????Facebook is the third most-visited website globally with 11.2 billion total visits, 1.5 billion unique visitors, and an average visit time of 21 minutes 52 seconds.

Why should we be accountable at all?

I trust that when we understand the true meaning of accountability, we can strengthen ourselves from the inside out and evolve into better humans.

·????????What is accountability in the first place?

·????????What is the importance of accountability in our lives?

Putting it simply, accountability is staying responsible for our actions. Whether in our personal lives or on social media, accountability distinguishes us and makes us stand apart from the crowd.

Individuals with accountability are respected and looked upon as role models. They know how their decisions and actions impact others and themselves and behave responsibly at every step.

As Wes Fessler says, “Good men are bound by conscience and liberated by accountability."

Staying personally accountable on social media

Social media is a powerful platform to share and trigger conversations. It can bloom when used responsibly to share factful information and engage in meaningful conversations.

When used otherwise, the media loses its essence for no fault of its leaving all of us accountable.

"Accountability separates the wishers in life from the action-takers that care enough about their future to account for their daily actions. " ― John Di Lemme.

We keep coming across complaints that social media consumes time and create problems by comparing with others.?While this can be true to a certain extent, like any other technology, how we use social media is in our hands.

We can use social media either in a way that breaks us or makes us.

Below I share my strategies here that help me stay accountable on social media. I hope they help you too:

Make meaningful connections:

Focus on the quality of connections rather than the quantity. Connect with people who inspire you, engage with you, and push you towards your goals. It’s debatable for some/many as always…

Join enriching groups:

If social media brings people together, groups can get like-minded people still closer. Select the groups that align with your personal and professional goals. The discussions and community are a sure-shot way to inspire your learning and self-development.

Think twice before you post or share:?

If you believe somewhere someone is watching us all time, nowhere else can it be truer than on social media.

Before you click “Post” or “Share”, ponder on these questions:

·????????Is this valuable to others?

·????????Is the post true or it 'seems' true?

·????????Am I sure of the facts behind the post?

·????????Will others or I may have an unprecedented impact due to this post in the future?

Asking such questions to yourself makes you more accountable on social media.

Share your goals and journey:

Having a cheerful group of social media followers is motivating. It uplifts and reminds us to be conscious of our posts and shares. The follower community can be a great source of inspiration too.

When you set your goals and share their progress with your followers, the feedback and the suggestions lift you and motivate you to perform better and achieve your goals.

By sharing meaningful moments of your journey, you can also evolve into an inspiration to your followers. This way, you are both giving to and taking from your followers and connections in a meaningful manner.

Push yourself out of the comfort zone:

Success stories, motivational posts, and messages can push us out of our comfort zones. This works when you carefully choose pages that provide value and are worthy of your time.

On social media, accountability begins with self!

Social media can be a treasure house of motivation and learning when we make meaningful connections, follow a strict routine, and use the features in the appropriate way.?

?Every moment we spend on social media, we must let this sink in:

We are responsible for everything we share and reshare. Every post, every share we do is our reflection and creates its impact on others in some way.

It’s time we turn more accountable socially!

"When it comes to privacy and accountability, people always demand the former for themselves and the latter for everyone else." ― David Brin.

Let this social media day remind us that accountability starts with self. Happy social media Day!