Is it rude to unfollow annoying friends?
My couple friends spend all weekend tweeting about their lovey-dovey relationship. Is it bad form to unfollow them?
Why the hate on for happiness? If you unfollowed every person that posted something annoying, you’d be following precisely no one. I know, I know, there are days when social media feeds feels like nothing more than one giant documentation of what everyone ordered for dinner (seriously — stop taking photos of your food, people), how long they worked out for, how bad the traffic is and the 107th photo of their kid that week.
And guess what? Sometimes it’s fun scrolling the old feed. I suspect your reaction to the lovey-dovey posts has more to do with that couple that it does with them being smug on Twitter. When you’ve had it with their online, do yourself a favour and get up, walk away from your screen and go do something offline. It’s the best antidote to a crummy, groan-inducing feed.
My friend’s LinkedIn account includes some, er, embellishments. And now he’s applied for a job with my company. Should I call him on it?
That’s bold! You absolutely have an interest in nudging your friend toward the truth, as your relationship will inevitably reflect back on you.
Don’t tattle to your HR person. Instead, raise it with your friend in the most casual of settings and give them heed that your company is very diligent in their fact-checking. Like, super diligent. Ask if they’re 100-per-cent comfortable with the language and the positioning that they’ve used in their LinkedIn profile, since the first person your com- pany will be checking in with is, well, you. If they respond that they are and they then get suitably grilled, you can think “I told you so,” but you’re too polite to say that. And if your company does ask you? Be as honest as you like.
I started going to a new fitness class and think the instructor is fantastic. Is it OK to follow her on Instagram?
Good on you for starting a new class! Even better that you really like the instructor, which can be an excellent motivator. There are some really inspiring fitness women on Instagram — have you checked out @amandabisk and @lindseyvonn? Following your instructor is a great way to keep you looking forward to the next class.
But “follow” her knowing that a few things might happen: In addition to being a great motivator, you might also get the occasional pro- motional post. What’s more, you might get glimpses into her life that have absolutely nothing to do with fitness. Your time together in her class is all about your fitness, but what she does in her off-time is all her business. She doesn’t owe her followings an all-fitness-all-thetime stream. Each week, etiquette expert Karen Cleveland answers your questions about life online. Tweet her your questions: @SchoolFinishing.