People should be guarding their reputation NOW more than ever. There are so many channels where your reputation can be damaged. Guess what? Most of the time the person who damages your reputation the most is YOU. What you say and HOW you say things can change the perception of others about you. Don’t give me the crap that “you don’t care what other people think”. Your credibility and personal brand can open opportunities for you. It can also close doors for you especially if you have a bad one.
Here are some things that I regularly see on Facebook that I think Filipinos should stop posting.
Author’s Note: There are several words below that you might find offensive. Brace yourself. 
CUSSING
You may feel good about it but you’re being insensitive to everyone else in your network. Can you HONESTLY say that no one in your 300-400 (or thousands) of friends will get offended or irked when they see nothing but blatant cuss words like p*tang ina, f*ck, etc. on Facebook?
You’re probably thinking… “It’s my page. WTF do they care?!”
Yes, it’s your page. Your reputation. Your future. Imagine a dark room filled with lit candles. Those candles are opportunities which can materialize if you keep on building your credibility to your network. Each time you do something negative like cuss the light on those candles get snuffed out. One cuss word at a time.
You should be thinking… “It’s my page! I SHOULD CARE.”
LEWD WORDS & PICS
Equally as offensive as cuss words are lewd “bastos” words that a lot of Filipinos just love inserting in their sentences. If you keep on saying p*ta on Facebook it just means that you’re craving for attention online or you just have no respect whatsoever for people in your network.
What I find really disturbing is that this is happening a lot with the youth today. I checked a few Facebook profiles of some of the people in my network and I was shocked with what I saw. Words like “k*ntot” are regularly seen across different status updates, replies, and notes.
Another thing I found a bit alarming was a 16 girl who posted her bikini photo online. She got depraved comments from men (I don’t know if they were her friends) who were making blatant sexual advances. Instead of removing the photo, the girl said “thank you <3".
Shortened “Jejemon” Text
Last, but definitely not the least – JEJEMON text. This is probably the most damaging thing you can do to your future career. Writing in that manner will give off the impression that you’re either lazy or stupid. Two qualities that you don’t want to get associated with you at all.
Be deliberate, cautious, and conscious of what you post on Facebook, Twitter, and on your blog. Remember that it’s called a “SOCIAL NETWORK” which means that it’s not really meant to be PRIVATE. It’s a networking tool which means that there’s a lot of interaction and perception-influencing that happens. Make sure that you use it to benefit you and not to drag you down.
Totally agree Carlo! We define ourselves with the words coming out from our mouth…what we say and how we say it! Good post! Thank you.
Thanks for the comment Muffy! I was just really frustrated after seeing so many negative things on my FB stream that I had to write this article.
Thanks 4 pointing it Out Carlo & 4 using your God Given Talent & Glorify God in excellence.
Proverbs 18:21- Death & Life is in d Power of d Tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.
Proverbs 15:7 – The Lips of d Wise disperse Knowledge, but d heart of d fool does not do so.
I think it goes beyond Filipinos. Personally, my audience doesn’t care if I drop and “F-bomb” once in a while. It depends on your brand and audience but as you noticed, these kids are not aware of managing their reputation.
Sir, you are absolutely right.
Agree carlo nice post..i can relate to this post..i they got nothing good to say better shut thier mouth off.. http://jbiadog.wordpress.com/2010/10/22/asian-issue-on-cyber-ethics/
you’re absolutely right Mr. Carlo. nice post. Ayaaan,,,dapat malaman ‘to ng maraming mga kabayan. ma teenagers man o ma matanda. Thank you
Good post, Carlo.
I’m thinking. May be, we ordinary human beings should start using Facebook with a mindset as if we’re on a stage with hundreds or even thousands of people on the audience. If you’re not comfortable using or would not want to use a word or action in front of an audience, you should not use it in FB.
Hello! ‘Super Like’ with four thumbs up! God bless!
Definitely agree with this one, we need to be very careful on how we show who we are in the web. We don’t know about the future, maybe those post made 3 years ago will reflect you in the near future. and who knows next time an interviewer ask question, they grab a computer and search first your name in Google.
Hi Carlo. This is very timely in light of deceptions, frustrations and even crimes being committed using digital media. Just an unsolicited suggestion my friend: Why not interview a psychologist or psycho-therapist and get his/her views, shed some light on the matter, and share it to your ever growing followers? Why some fb users could no longer step on the “brakes” in spreading below the belt messages so to speak? There could be some underlying psychological explanations to it. Hope this post helps.
even when a “friend” does that on fb, i immediately HIDE him or her! sayang pero if it’s offensive to me, i hide it. it’s my way of controlling my own page. IF YOU HAVE NOTHING GOOD TO SAY, IT’S INFINITELY BETTER NOT TO SAY ANYTHING!
This is a message to the wise and will most likely be ignored by fools. Until they grow enough sense and see the error of their ways. Thanks for posting Carlo. May it enlighten others.
Thanks, Carlo! This is worth sharing to everyone in social networking space.
Definitely, you are right sir. Filipinos should be more careful in writing their messages through this social network. Some of my friends who are now working in Europe and Middle East write very terrible English, especially when they try to impress that they have the European accent or whatever. While I can understand their language, I don’t find them impressive anyway. The thing is Filipinos abroad can adapt the language of their host country, but they can maintain the basic thread of being Filipino, that is, by being clear and simple inorder to be understood.
Thanks for all the comments guys! Appreciate it. Glad you found the post helpful.
Unfortunately, I noticed that people’s personalities seemed to have been heightened by Facebook. (Blame Technological Determinism for it.) It’s like everyone’s in a competition for the most shocking status messages because they want comments and likes. Just a few months ago, a student of mine posted a photo of hemorrhoids and announced that his course is causing him to have hemorrhoids. That certainly ruined breakfast for everyone…
Thing is, FB not only seems to unearth everyone’s Id, Ego and Superegos. It also made a whole chunk of the population quite narcissistic.
Personally, I agree on your article only if the purpose of your facebook profile is to represent your reputation, which is just a fraction of your personality rather than your personality as a whole. It is a “social networking site” and after all, it is your profile. You have the prerogative to say whatever it is that you want to say, and if you find it offensive, you can simply ignore the status or delete the person in your friends list or even categorize them in a group that cannot access much in your profile. I don’t think we should impose restrictions on what is suppose to be a medium of expression, it is not a professional networking site – it is “social”. Though I have to admit, some people can become annoying with their comments, but thats their right to do so. It is after all, their profile. I hope we Filipinos could find it in ourselves to practice and accept freedom of expression as it really is: black or white. good or bad. subtle or flamboyant. The moment we become cautious of our reputation in a social networking site, I just think it becomes superficial. Because when we tell people what they shouldn’t say or do, it limits your ability to express yourself on your own profile. Plus, we wouldn’t find out who they truly are. And remember, chances are, their behavior in facebook, is how they really interact in the real world. So if you really are in the protection of your reputation, I guess you should look into how they socialize per se and not just what you say in your facebook profile. But thats just me.
Thanks for the comment Bianca.
Just some thoughts:
- Intentional or not, your reputation/perception will be affected with what you post on your FB profile.
- The people on your FB profile are most likely the people that have influence on your opportunities (co-workers, family, friends, etc.)
- While you can definitely post whatever you want, I still think it is wise if we hold back and be cautious because it can affect our future.
true and now both our husband is magkagalit(they truebloodbrothers);
but mine is purely in due respect and there is a gold in silence..tama b a?!?
correct me if i’m wrong
tama!
totoo ka dyan; alam mo bang naexperience ko na yan.at sinabihan ko syang KSP”.;sa mga bastos,pagmumura at pagaalipusta nya, kahit na hindi sya nagninames because she “dont want to get even” daw..(hindi naman kami tanga,para hindi malamang kami ang pinararatangan nya ng walang pakundangan.it hurts dahil extended family pa sya ng husband mo).naturingang mataas ang pinag-aralan at RN pa,kesyo nagsasabi lang daw ng totoo…at sya daw ay mas may credibilidad,dahil maraming naniniwala sa kanya;hindi daw sya KSP,dahil mga kamag-anak at friends at collegues nya lang daw ang nakakabasa….
sa huli; karma bumalik sa kanya….
haha.. jejemon text (even text lingo) will not be a good attribute to one’s personal branding. i agree.