Emerge Magazine 2017
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Challenging the unwritten rules of social media

There are unwritten rules on social media that many users abide by.  However, there are some people that like to stray from the norm and add their own take on popular social media etiquette. We see them all the time: a few people we follow who use social media just a little differently.

I just find it funny how people feel like they need to follow a certain set of rules online.

Justin Corlevic, 25, is a Humber College graduate and Daniel Danato, 24, is a trades school student. Both of them have found ways to use social media a little differently.

Danato likes to tweet a little differently than most people. “My thing is typing in all-caps; I want to bring as much attention to my posts as I can,” said Danato. “My followers always have different opinions on the way I post. A lot of my friends say they love my tweets; they think my views and the way I express them are funny and entertaining. Others, however, get pretty annoyed, and are always asking why I act so weird online.”

Danato said he doesn’t understand why people feel they need to act in a certain way on social media. He thinks everyone should post whatever they want. “I just find it funny how people feel like they need to follow a certain set of rules online,” said Danato.

“‘Wow, you went out for dinner and it was really good. Awesome.’ I want to see interesting and weird stuff: that’s what makes social media fun to use.”

I want to see interesting and weird stuff: that’s what makes social media fun to use.

Danato said that his followers have no problem letting him know how annoying he can be online. “I just don’t understand why it bothers them so much. Posting in all caps is what I prefer, and just because it doesn’t look ‘normal,’ people actually get upset. The whole way people approach social media just doesn’t make sense to me at all. If you like boring, useless tweets, then unfollow me.”

They give me all these rules and times, as if there’s some sort of science to it. It’s social media, who cares.

 Justin Corlevic has similar views about social media. He uses Instagram to express himself, posting pictures of anything and everything. “I probably post like five or six times a day,” said Corlevic. “I know people hate it, but I don’t care.”

“I have friends try and teach me the proper way to use Instagram. They give me all these rules and times, as if there’s some sort of science to it. It’s social media, who cares,” Corlevic said.

Corlevic said he believes that everyone should use social media differently, because that’s what keeps it new and exciting. He said he is tired of seeing everyone post the same type of things and following the same pattern online.

“I think social media is a place for everyone to express their uniqueness. I enjoy seeing people’s weird ways of expressing themselves, rather than the same selfie that was posted at 6 p.m. just because that’s when the most people will see it.”

Both Corlevic and Danato have taken breaks from social media because they feel like they’ve almost been forced into following these norms. They do, however, plan to continue posting things they find unusual and exciting, regardless of what their followers think.

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Joseph Quintanilha

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Joseph Quintanilha is an aspiring sports journalist, who just really wants to be famous.

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