One of the tried and true seasonal rituals is upon us, having family asking for tech support at holiday gatherings.[1] We all have our horror stories of some of the strange things we’ve seen while attempting to help family or friends with their outdated Windows computers, teaching them some new tricks on their new tablet, or helping them with their new smartphone.

This isn’t about helping others, this is about helping you.

One of the common tendancies I’ve noticed over the past couple of years is to get a rush of social media invites, or follows, just after holiday events. You know how it goes - your nephew googled your name and found your less than family friendly Twitter account, a 2nd cousin you haven’t seen in 23 years makes a New Year’s resolution to reconnect with family this year, etc. Here’s a few things to think about this holiday season:

• How do you separate your social media experiences? Think about the boundaries you have in your mind for your different social media accounts and what each account means to you. Try to define the type of social interactions you want to have on one platform versus another.
• Will you honestly follow back any family members? So they found you. Now what? Can you honestly tell yourself you’re going to ignore their request? This is a discussion you have to have with yourself.
• Are you prepared to explain yourself to others? This is where the rubber meets the road. A family member found you on Twitter and follows you. Then over a holiday dinner they bluntly ask you why you never followed them back.

Thinking about answers to the first two questions will help you when you run into the third.

Got any questions? Feel free to hit me up on Twitter at @MyGeekDaddy.