Quoted in this piece from AP and Yahoo on social media use over the holidays.
Social media will be part of the holidays this year — parties, gifts, photos, shopping — in a way it was not five years ago, notes Anthony Rotolo, who teaches social media strategy at Syracuse University's School of Information Studies. He thinks that's mostly a good thing, since your followers or friends are there because they want to be.
Be mindful of others' feelings, however, and try to grow a tougher skin yourself, he says....
...Besides hurt feelings, Rotolo is concerned about the botched surprises that can come when people check in at an airport (or even an airport coffee shop), or if they claim an online shopping deal that's visible to their network. "At this point in time, there's not much surprise left. You have to go off the grid to keep a secret. ... If you want a holiday surprise, you need to plan a connection-less strategy."
Rotolo has one ground rule that he thinks will keep everyone out of trouble: "It sounds like common sense, but I don't think people should share anything on social media they wouldn't want their mother to see. It's a good standard to use professionally, socially and with family."