When It Is Not Sharing Too Much Personal Information Online.
Or, rather, what is the Right Amount of Personal Information to share online?
The common advice you find online on what not to share and keep silent instead is your finances, your love life, and your next move. However, these are mostly posted by an influencer that has probably shared what they earned last month, a picture with a lover on vacation, or the next content to post or a place to travel.
Logically, the common sense behind this is to avoid haters. This makes me wonder if, as a salary earner, a hater will advise my boss that I am being paid too much. Or lousy mouth me in front of my lover to the point of falling out of love. Or lastly, tell people not to buy from me if I share that I am starting a new business or traveling to a new country.
It has been presumed that a person’s sharing of personal information, specifically good news — even just once, disqualifies its occurrence from positive protection. But could this mean influencers who drum this advice are immune to these calamities?
Society demands we share more about ourselves but nothing about ourselves because any information about us is something required from us and equally a source of criticism for us.
I have equally experienced how what is allowed to be shared and not attract criticism is segregated by class and the popularity of different individuals. A common example is that culturally Nigerians find nothing wrong with you posting a gift from a loved one or family online, which is ideal in almost every culture.
However, when Florence Otedola (AKA DJ Cuppy), the daughter of Nigerian billionaire businessman, Femi Otedola, shared that she received a surprise gift of a country house worth £5,000,000 from her father last year, November 2023. She received a lot of backlash. Hate speeches targeted at her, name it, etc., But this did not offend any of the three categories of things we should not share online.
Culturally, she deserved congratulatory messages, which she did not get. Because this is a country house, and she is the daughter of a billionaire, which narrows the categories of things she is allowed to share online for her.
This is an example of an instance where what we are allowed to share is not just presumed positive protection of the occurrence but that of the society being subtly jealous or, rather, scared of being made jealous in masses.
A point I argued elaboratively in this article, ‘When It Is Not Bragging Or Rather What Separates Confidence From Arrogance.’ There I stated that there is nothing like bragging if everything you self-promote about yourself is true. We simply have not to find ourselves in scenarios where being in the wrong company or communicating the wrong information could fetch one the bragging label.
Generally, it appears that the reason society perceives some events as bragging or sharing too much personal information is that society unconsciously has been built to keep what is positive information secret. Like finances, love life, adventure, happiness, etc., So in contrast, this introduces the clear-cut that there is nothing like bragging, except when you tell lies in an attempt to self-promote.
Neither is there such a thing as sharing too much personal information. If not, why did Bill Gates share with the world in his newsletter December 2022: The Year Ahead 2023 — titled: The future our grandchildren deserve, that his daughter is pregnant and that he is expecting to be a granddad without receiving the caution like any elated aged expectant grandad would have?
Before I wrote my first content on Medium, I spent weeks, if not months, writing and telling people about how I wanted to start content writing online. When I published my first article, it received a warm welcome from many online and personal friends. In the same way, when I wanted to travel out of my country, I shared so much about it online, to the point that I even got friends that helped me settle down in the new country before I even arrived.
The caution or focus surrounding sharing personal information online should be to ensure that what you share is personal and not about a friend or family member unless you have explicit consent or approval. In addition, do not tell lies about yourself, friends, or family in an attempt to self-promote. Otherwise, it will not be considered as sharing too much personal information but as plain bragging and inappropriate behaviour.
Lastly, do not share personal information that will expose you to any form of risks, physical, mental, financial, etc.; similarly, I urge you to bear these points of mine in mind before cautioning anyone about sharing too much personal information online as you could just be jealous, about to be or simply complying to the societal norm which is to keep the positive news secret.
I announce a new job, promotion, new idea, or just anything I find interesting. And I hope to find a community of like-minded people.
Many thanks for reading my perspective and giving feedback.
My fervent wish is for the personal growth of everyone and the success of all young professionals who put their hearts and souls into finding their purpose in life.
Copyright © Ekene Moses, 2023. All Rights Reserved.
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