The Difference Between Being Honest and Oversharing

Last week, I had written about 5 Things I Won't Blog About.  My first example was private family and friend business, and I felt like I should expand on this a bit more. Because there are definitely times when it's appropriate and okay to talk about what's going on in your life and with your family - but there are also times when it is not okay. I feel like this doesn't just apply to bloggers, but anyone who posts anything on the internet. Whether it's a blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube etc.

I'm a firm believer in being honest. It's okay to admit that you're not having the best day, or you're going through a hard time, or even if you had a great day or did something awesome. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. However, on the Internet, I feel like we over-share at times. This I feel like can be dangerous territory.

Here are some examples of what I personally feel are okay to share on the Internet, and examples of what is not okay. (Feel free to disagree with me, and there are also exceptions to every rule. Also, we're all guilty of some of these at least to an extent, including myself.)

Good:
Posting a couple of photos of you and your friends and what you did that weekend.

Bad:
Updating every couple hours of what you are doing every moment of every day and then also writing out detailed re-tellings of all of your conversations and all of the juicy gossip and all of the drama your friends are going through.

Possible Solution: 
If there is a conversation or an experience you and your friends went through that might relate to something you are writing about. (Example, a bunch of dating horror stories.) If you choose to use people's real names, be sure you have their permission. If you don't, make up fake names. That way you can share funny stories and such without revealing identities of people who might not want their business public.

Good:
A family tragedy has happened and you decide to share your own personal emotions about the situation and where you are at with it.

Bad:
Telling everyone about every argument your family is having about it, sharing how your mother is crying every two seconds, etc.

Possible Solution:
I feel like it's okay to talk about what you are personally going through as long as you are comfortable and you think the audience will be receptive. (You won't always have 100% of your audience receptive, so if there is negative feedback, are you ready for the backlash? Can you handle it?) It is NOT okay to share other people's grief and struggled, especially without their permission. If you really think you need to share that, be sure you talk to the other person first or have them tell it themselves. It's not your place to share other people's business.

Good:
"I'm having a rough day today."

Bad:
"EXPLETIVE EXPLETIVE EXPLETIVE EVERYTHING IN MY LIFE IS AWFUL AND I HATE THE WORLD!"

Possible Solution:
Again, I feel like it's okay to be honest. But no one likes a complainer. We all have things we're going through in life that we don't like. If you really need to vent or need someone to talk to, do it privately. Only your Internet friends will understand? That's okay! That's what private messages, gchat, email, etc. is for. The thing is, the internet is not your journal. If you need to process something or complain through writing, get a journal. That way, even if you do decide to put something on the Internet, at least you've had a way to get the venting and complaining out, and then you can take from those writings something worthwhile to publish.

Good:
Sharing a well thought out and respectful reason why you don't agree with someone or an article you read or anything else like that.

Bad:
Dissing other people in public/online. Even if it's passive-aggressive and you don't share names. In fact, sometimes that's even worse because it's annoying.

Possible Solution:
We don't always get along with everyone, and there are times we disagree. That's life. If there is a certain point someone talked about or an article you read or something which you don't agree with, you can share why you don't agree. That's okay. It's NOT okay to insult others, be disrespectful, and to sham someone in public. Again, if you need to vent, do it privately before you type something you regret. Remember- the Internet is forever. (Yes, even SnapChat.)

What are your thoughts? What are some other ways you can think of to differentiate between being honest and over-sharing? Do you agree/disagree with anything I mentioned?


Today's Love Sighting:

Everyday when I get home from work, I see my dog and my mom's dog at the window by the front door waiting. They do this for my mom too and it's so cute! They love seeing us come home! Then they nap at my feet while I blog.