That social media is addictive goes without saying. In fact, recent studies suggest that much like a gambling compulsion or an addiction to drugs, social media use can create psychological cravings.

This happens when you receive a like, a share or even a favorable reaction to your post. As dopamine chemical is released in your brain, you become addicted to spending more time on social media and in the process become delulu, thinking you are far better than you actually are.

This is why you enhance not only your physical appearance but even your accomplishments, too. In fact, I have a friend who uses so much filter on her face that if she goes missing and her filtered picture is posted online, nobody can find her. Then there’s this lawyer colleague who fancies himself as one of the best in the industry though in reality, he only has three clients, one of which is his mother-in-law.

There’s really little research about the long-term effects of social media being a fairly recent technology. But I wouldn’t be surprised if at some point social media addicts go to rehab too like crackheads do.

As many experts suggest, the key to navigating and surviving social media is having a sufficient dose of self awareness. This means you have to be conscious that you don’t have to post everything that happens to you.

If you’re a lawyer, for instance, and you won a case, you can probably post by all means without necessarily giving so much details that you end up advertising yourself. However, it’s not okay when you would post every little conquest you make, like a mere grant of your motion for extension or a lunch with a prospective celebrity client who subsequently gets another lawyer anyway.

If you graduated with honors, share it with rest of the world. Everyone would be happy to celebrate with you as you deserve all the accolades. But not when the award is a mere perfect attendance or most behaved or even a loyalty award.

If you humblebrag, people would normally understand. But not when your expensive watch and steering wheel bearing some luxurious logo take center stage way more than the traffic you’re complaining about. Also, don’t use the hashtag “blessed.” You’re not Lorenzo Ruiz.

If you want to flaunt your bikini pics, be my guest. However, don’t use bible verse as caption. I know God so loved the world He gave his only begotten son. But it has nothing to do with your cleavage, or lack of it. Anyway, while at it, if you really want to flaunt your curves, it’s your own body and you have the right to so. But do us a favor by placing them in one album. So, they won’t be hard to find.

At the end of the day, there is such a thing as responsible use of social media, knowing fully well you have to be cautious of what the other users would feel about seeing your ludicrous and tasteless posts.

The problem is nobody wants to be responsible anymore thinking that he can say anything he wants, how he wants it and when he wants it. Just like this pseudo-celebrity in Cebu who scolded a waiter for two hours because he called her a “sir” despite the fact that she identifies as a woman.

Let me clarify though that I recognize her right to gender expression and identity. My only point is, there are far better ways she can get across her message. But I also have to give it to her anyway. What she did takes a lot of balls!