Friday, January 22, 2016

Should I add my coworkers on Facebook?

Not only no...but HELL to the no. Do not feel obligated to add coworkers. Am I friends with coworkers? A few. A select few. A minuscule, micro, select few. And for some of my colleagues added, I customized my privacy settings to limit the amount of my personal life to be judged. 

For coworkers added, who initially appeared harmless, but later proved otherwise...DELETED!!

My advice...free of charge, refrain from adding colleagues altogether and here's why:

1. People love to talk sh*t!
People love to talk behind your back and smile in your face. I guess I missed Jesus' memo about job openings. Apparently someone granted my Facebook friends the authority to judge me, and I doubt that someone was Jesus. 

So...if you constantly publish posts highlighting drunken shenanigans or if you post plans of happy hour intoxication (every week or sometimes in my case, every day...JK), I guarantee your colleagues gather around the water cooler to judge & talk sh*t about your bouts with alcoholism. If you constantly publish posts regarding how much you HATE Monday and you'd rather be somewhere other than work, I guarantee some shady snitch is running to your supervisor to parade your post in your supervisor's face. #SNITCHESGETSTITCHES (LOL. JK)
2. People get offended by EVERYTHING!
The one thing I will never understand...I offend you, but yet you continue to follow me on Facebook. Please explain the logic behind that. For some individuals, being offended is their job. Personally, I rarely discuss the following topics on Facebook: politics, child rearing, religion, sexual preference, etc. It boggles my mind how people get enraged over the most inconsequential topics that bear no relation to them. #getoveryourself So, if ( like me) you tend to post offensive material containing profane language, think twice before friending your "holier-than-thou-stick-up-the-a** coworker. 

3. People really want to be friends...
A Facebook friendship, does not equate a REAL friendship. On occasion, colleagues comment on my Facebook exploits and suggest we "hangout." Ummm...no thanks. I  look like a "good time" on Facebook ( I really am. Like Kesha said, "The party don't start 'til I walk in."), but I keep my circle of acquaintances (or as I like to call them my Partners-In-Crime) small.
The invaluable free advice provided above stems form personal experience. You live and you learn. Whenever possible, I make every attempt to separate my professional and personal life. If I do decide to add colleagues on Facebook, I add them on a case-by-case basis.  

Word of advice, if you are "that teacher" who wants to be every one's friend  & you accept friend request from colleagues because you don't want to hurt their feelings...grow a pair. Truth be told, I experience awkward moments with coworkers after I receive a request and ignore or decline it. I imagine my rejected colleague thinking, "Who does that biyotch think she is? I know she saw my friend request!"  I did. I ignored it. #girlbye


But like I tell my sons, everyone is not your friend. 

"Everybody isn't your friend. Just because they hang around you and laugh with you doesn't mean they're for you. Just because they say they got got your back, doesn't mean they won't stab you in it. People pretend well. Jealousy sometimes doesn't live far. So know your circle. At the end of the day real situations expose fake people so pay attention."  -Trent Shelton

If you feel the need to network with colleagues,  I suggest LinkedIn. 

Are you friends with coworkers? Your boss? 

2 comments:

  1. Interesting perspective! Personally, I'm friends with almost all of my coworkers on Facebook, including two of my administators. When using social media, I've always thought, "Is this something I'd want my boss to see?" Once it's on social media, you never know who can actually see it!

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    Replies
    1. I am friends with my past administrators, but I worked with them a few years, so I felt comfortable accepting their request. They're both retired. Our new adminstrator sent a request, but I don't feel comfortable accepting because she's my direct supervisor & I don't really know her at all.

      Some of the women I work with are catty and apparently don't have enough to do because they have a lot of time to stir up drama on a continuous basis. I want no parts of that, so I don't friend them. I am friends with a few people, that I hangout with outside of work.

      Delete