Worst Advice Ever

Everyone knows I love @Real_Simple magazine. I beam when I open my mailbox and find the latest issue. I read it from cover to cover for every neat little tip, fun fact and advice I can absorb. But the latest issue (Feb 2011) has me tilting my head a little sideways thinking, what were they thinking?

The magazine that I turn to for tips, tricks, and advice has let me down with, worse yet, a Life Lesson article called, “5 Things Worth Admitting to.” It starts out with an intro stating that in today’s world of TMI tweeting we share anything and everything, but here are five things we should share. At first, I’m pleasantly amused by actor Rainn Wilson’s (The Office) response of you need not have all the answers so just relax and live in the moment. The second was from a marriage and family therapist telling you to not keep money a secret from your significant other. Bravo. The third, some sage advice from a Los Angeles event planner to fess up to friends that your house doesn’t always look that way when people are coming over.  Admit to cleaning (or having it cleaned). The fourth was the most valuable from a psychiatrist Judith Orloff who politely gives advice on how to rid yourself of hearing every epic moment from your drama queen friends.

Then there was the worst advice ever from gossip columnist Michael Musto, who writes for the Village Voice (for the past 26 years!). He says that you should be honest about your tattoos, your criminal record, age, sexual orientation. You should admit to your fantasies and neuroses. Why? Because he is and that’s what makes him feel better about intruding in other people’s lives.  But this is such terrible advice that I cringe at the thought of every twenty, thirty and forty something with a Facebook or Twitter account heeding his advice.  For one, recruiters scour social media accounts looking for dirt just to weed people out in the process. Second, there have been way too may teen suicides this year due to social media posts. Sexual orientation? The only people that need to know that are the people you are intimate with, close friends and family. Not a web bot, internet search engine or the Library of Congress, which the latter now has access and keeps record of all tweets. Lastly, no one needs to know that you have a tattoo or your ta-ta except your significant other. So don’t post the photo, don’t tweet or post it in social media unless your career is going to be a tattoo artist.

Some things are personal and private and should remain that way, so I say it’s a big no-no to disclose these things.  I’m disappointed in @Real_Simple for printing this lame advice. I expect better.

For sage social media tips, tricks and advice, follow me on Twitter @tracysestili or @socialstrand. Or subscribe to my blog at Social Strand Media.