Suppose you pass by someone's house and you find their front door open. Do you just walk right in? No, right? Because that would be super creepy. Like this, there are many social etiquettes that we follow in our lives which now have transcended onto our digital lives. There isn't a handbook or a manual on how one should behave, but it's just common sense to behave politely. Unfortunately, common sense isn't that common, so it is necessary to reiterate some of the unwritten rules of social media.

Here are five things that'll help you scale up your social media courtesy.

TEXT BEFORE CALLING

Shooting a text before calling someone is a decent gesture. Just because the person is online doesn't mean they are up for taking a call. In instances where you think the conversation can be wrapped up in a text, wrap it up in a text. If you have something very important to say, then don't keep calling them on their social media rather give a ring on their personal number.

GIVE CREDIT

Maybe you stumbled upon a great quote you saw on the web or perhaps you found something very pretty and decided to put it up on your profile but you did not reference the original poster. Give credit where it's due. Ask the owner for their permission. Stealing is bad.

SELF-PROMOTION

Advertising for a new business is toilsome, and it may seem like an easy route to gain more followers by bombarding self-promotional comments on someone else's page or blog. But before sharing your accolades it is important to be aware of the place you are publicising in. Actions like this seem inappropriate and might also trigger the original content creator who worked hard to build their audience.

DO NOT SPAM

Social media has become a great place to share countless photos and videos in an instant. You have the right to share whatever you want on your account, but that does not mean that you'll exploit that power by posting 25 pictures of your face, 50 stories of your cat or unending screenshots of memes you saw on the internet. The email you sent probably reached the receiver. There is no need to send a second email. Don't spam. Keep some of the photos to yourself.

BE RESPONSIVE

It is the general rule of thumb that when a person you know tags or comments on a post you shared, you respond to them. Acknowledgement is necessary, be it a simple emoji or a reaction. Acknowledging someone doesn't make you look uncool rather it builds reliability. Get back to them within a span of 24 hours maximum, however, the sooner the better.

What do you think are some of the other unspoken internet rules?

Farnaz Fawad Hasan reads product labels when she's bored. Reach her at [email protected]