Topic Tuesday//Designing your online world//Tues. 16 Jan. 7pm - 9pm AEDT

[Former-Member]

Locking it down is a good choice, @Phoenix_Rising, and one I've made many times.

[Former-Member]

@Lonely_Together Ugh, Facebook and their ever-changing settings! It pays to check regularly, doesn't it? Just in case some new tweak changes how you can be seen.

[Determined]

As an exercise at uni last semester we had to try and fing the lecturer and fellow students online, (from the point of view of potential employers checking us out), I was very pleased that noone was able to find me 😊,  particually because I follow a lot of mental health related stuff. 

[Former-Member]

@Determined Wise, especially if it's been trouble in the past. Locking, blocking and being selective is a powerful way to get what you want from social networks without feeling exposed or at risk.

[Former-Member]

Sounds like a really sensible course to take, @Former-Member. I like the idea of it being a flexible thing -- you can be more or less involved, more or less open as you feel okay with it.

[Determined]

---

@Lonely_Together wrote:

@Determined  What I struggle with is when I do work (be that paid, volunteer or advocacy) in the mental health space, the lines between professional networking, mutual support and friendship can get a bit blurry.... Especially online...

---

@Lonely_Together, my professional networking is on a completely separate platform and is designed around being visible professionally to recruiters and potential employers.  

[Former-Member]

Such a good point, @Former-Member -- your profession can also make a difference to how you share. And I like your standard for who you connect with online!

[Lonely_Together]

I'm thinking of trying hard to keep Facebook just for close family & friends, and getting onto Twitter for keeping up to date with things more generally/networking and just not commenting on things that might be controversial (and lead to disagreements) but I'm not sure if I want to expose myself to the potential issues of Twitter... I like the idea of keeping those 2 aspects of my life separate though, so that then I can just tune out from one for a while but without having to go offline altogether.

Anyone here got much experience with Twitter?

[Former-Member]

That must have been so satisfying, @Determined -- you've got it locked down tight!

[Mazarita]

Hi all, I've missed the start of this and wanted to join in before reading back all the other posts, so I don't miss it altogether. That said, I use social media a lot, especially for posting my creative work. On FB I really only do that. I've had stalkers and trolls and it's made me personally very withdrawn from sharing anything personal on FB or Twitter. I don't share anything at all about my mental illness on social media, am completely 'in the closet' about it, except for here on the forum. In that sense, I kind of live a 'double life' on social media.