It’s easy to collect a lot of junk on your social media accounts, especially if you’ve jumped on every platform that’s been created. However, when it comes to spring cleaning, why not take a closer look at those photo albums from five years ago, comments that might put you in the hot seat with your boss, and start sifting through those friend lists? Start by taking a look at who has access to your information, and remember that all of these people (depending on your settings) are getting a front row seat to your life. Few people are actually close to hundreds of people, and it might be time to trim the fat.
You can get this process started by considering who you think of when you imagine your feed or timeline. Is there someone who’s constantly ranting, posting about hot button topics, or otherwise makes your social media experience anything but good? You may not realize it, but you’ll be directly impacted for the day (if not longer) for something as seemingly harmless as a political infographic. Take back control of your social media; hide or unfriend these instigators.
Skip the Kool Aid
Are you being bombarded with ads, especially on Facebook? If you want something, you probably already know the best sites on which to shop for it yourself, and you don’t need an ad for the same yoga pants you just bought (nobody ever said Facebook ads were perfect). Shopify and similar POS systems have made it easy for anyone to set up shop online; you don’t need to be bombarded with ads telling you which one to shop from! Simply select the arrow next to the ad to keep it hidden for good. While this won’t stop all ads from cropping up, at least you can cherry pick what you don’t want to see.
At the same time, take a closer look at all those groups you’ve joined. Even if they don’t post daily, it’s another way to clean up and move on with your life. You may not even remember joining that gaming group or the one to vote for whoever in 2012. However, the groups you’re in are one of the most easily accessible pieces of information for Facebook lurkers, and you don’t want a reputation built on forgotten groups.
Regain control
You probably get notified on your mobile device when someone tags you in a photo or posts on your timeline, and then forget about it. It’ll take some time, but try going through all those past posts and cleaning up anything you don’t want public. To prevent these things from happening in the future, adjust your settings in Tagging to control who can add things to your timeline. Up the security by only allowing friends to see your tagged posts by limiting past posts, and opt to review anything you’re tagged in.
Head on over to Twitter next to manage your lists. You probably follow a number of people, meaning your tweets are too many to actually read. Making lists is easier than unfollowing people, plus you avoid the chance of hurting any feelings. Sort by whatever you like, from news to travel, and make sure that master list has all the juicy people you follow whether it’s a Kardashian or a politico. Spring cleaning doesn’t have to have tangible results, and there’s no reason you can’t clean up while nestled in your snuggie on the couch.
