We can't tell you what to do or not to do, but here are a few things we REALLY wish we had listened to before we got started on Social Media...

ON ANY PLATFORM

Turn on two step verification: Most sites have this now and it’s a very important way to make sure you don’t get hacked.

Don’t share your password: Seriously guys, even with your best friend. Because while she might be your best friend today, you never know if she might change her feelings. Or share it with someone less trustworthy.There is no reason that anyone should be.

Don’t buy likes or followers: Sure, we all want to look a little more popular sometimes. It’s normal. But this is just a flat-out waste of your money. Most sites will clear out fake followers frequently!PLUS once you start buying them you may never be able to go back because you won’t want your numbers to drop.

Don’t cut someone out of the group photo or not tag them: That’s just rude. We’ve all done it and said, “it didn’t fit” or you didn’t have their user name, but let’s be honest. It’s just mean. And exclusive. And that one person will feel pretty rotten.

Be generous with your likes: Buying "likes" costs money. Giving likes is free. We all know those people who are stingy with their likes, doling them out like they were rare $100 bills. But come on. Give a "like", get a "like". It’s a simple way of doing something nice, while scrolling by is a little like not saying hello when you see someone…

Try to focus on who someone is, not what they look like: Even when you think we are saying something nice like “Beauty”, “Gorgeous” or "You look hot,” you may be doing a little more damage than you think!

Think twice before going public: Sure, being public means insta-fame, right? More followers! More likes! But be careful. While going public might sound appealing, think carefully before you flip that switch. Do you really want people you don’t know looking at your every move? Potential creepers seeing you – and your friends? Would you let out your phone number? Want someone you don’t know watching you at the mall, the movies, the beach? Well, going public is sort of like that…

Don’t Lie: Did you tell a friend that you can’t go to her piano recital because you’ve got too much homework but then you head out to a party thinking she’ll never know? Don't want to invite that girl on the “fringe” of your group to the sleepover because she’ll never find out? Well guess what. They always do. You and your friends are just too busy on social media to avoid posting something that someone notices. And you will get busted. Even if they don’t tell you they know, they know. So either play it straight up or assume you will get busted. SO be prepared to deal with the fallout and hurt feelings.

Think About the Future: Posting really CAN affect your future According to Yourcollegeconcierge.net 67%  of  admissions officers  surveyed  in  2015  said  they  had  looked  up  college  applicants   on  Facebook -- 40%  didn’t  like  what  they  found.

Don’t Trash Text: So you make a rude comment on someone’s picture? Well, think about how YOU would feel if that same comment showed up on YOUR page. And if you wouldn’t write it on your own page (or your Best Friend’s page, then it shouldn’t probably be written...and be careful, even though you might delete it later, doesn’t mean someone ELSE hasn’t taken a screen shot to document your attitude.

Inside Jokes Can Be Meaner Than You Think: Ever think someone is talking about you when they whisper? Or say something you don’t get but clearly THEY do. Well, when you post an inside joke, or "Tag" a friend with a questionable icon, don’t think they won’t wonder what the “joke” is…and assume it’s somehow on them.

Threats Are No Joke: What you say as a "joke", in a group of people, that’s clearly just a "joke" might look and sound very different in print. While you know you were joking when you said “you’d kill her” if she posted that pic, the rest of the social media universe might not realize your humor. Taken out of context you could have someone thinking something far more negative then you meant. Even if it’s anonymous, it can be tracked back to you…so just DON’T do it.