Online etiquette is just another daily habit.
I spend a lot of time online for work and play, and Facebook is the one place where every generation shows up to the same digital dinner table.
That’s great for keeping families connected, but it also leads to some head-tilting moments.
Younger folks grew up with stories, DMs, and privacy toggles; Boomers brought phone-call etiquette into a comment box.
Different defaults, same intentions.
This is merely a friendly guide to the little habits that create the most confusion—and how to make them land better.
Think of it like polishing the silverware before guests arrive: Small tweaks, smoother conversations, and fewer awkward notifications!
1) Writing on the timeline instead of sending a DM
You ever wake up to a public wall post that should’ve been a private message?
“Hey, can you call me?” splashed across your timeline like a Post-it note on your forehead.
Younger people tend to keep one-to-one things in the DMs, because it’s tidier and safer.
Public timelines are like the dining room; DMs are the kitchen pass.
Not everything belongs in the front of house.
When I worked in luxury F&B, the maître d’ taught me a simple rule: handle sensitive conversations quietly, away from the floor.
Same vibe on Facebook.
If you want a fast response—or you’re asking something personal—drop a message, not a wall post; if you’re on the receiving end, a kind nudge helps: “Hey! Saw your note—messaged you.”
It sets a boundary without making Grandma feel like she broke the internet.
2) Copy-pasting chain posts and disclaimers
You know the ones: “I do not authorize Facebook to use my photos…” or “If you love your kids, copy and paste this within 10 minutes.”
For anyone who grew up with social media, these read like chain letters from 2008.
They spread because they play on fear, not facts.
And younger folks get confused because they trust settings over superstition.
A better move? Learn the actual controls.
Privacy settings, ad preferences, who can see what—those do far more than a copy-paste spell.
Think of it like reading the menu instead of pointing at random plates going past your table.
You’ll get what you actually want.
If you’re trying to make a point—say, about data or consent—say it in your own words.
It lands better, and it’s a tiny act of digital literacy.
On Facebook, your environment is your settings and your habits, not a status incantation.
3) Tagging everyone… in everything
A group photo from a cousin’s barbecue? Tag the world.
A picture of a sunset from your vacation in 2013? Tag your dentist.
Younger people see mass-tagging as hijacking their notifications and sometimes their reputation.
When you tag someone, the photo can surface on their profile and in their friends’ feeds.
That can be awkward if they weren’t there, aren’t dressed for public consumption, or just don’t like their Tuesday face.
In hospitality we’d never send a tray to a table that didn’t order it.
Same idea: Tag the people who are clearly in the photo and ask first if you’re unsure, or put the pics in an album and say “Tag yourself if you want.”
That gives folks agency.
And if you’re tagged in something you don’t love, remove the tag—no lecture needed.
Quiet boundaries are underrated.
4) Using Facebook like a newsroom (and a megaphone)
You’ve probably seen it: Articles from who-knows-where, shared with an urgent caption, or a screenshot of a screenshot that’s “too shocking not to post.”
No judgment—most of us were never taught how to fact-check online.
But younger people often live by “pause before you post.”
They Google the claim, check the date, and look for primary sources.
The confusion comes when a trusted elder shares something wild and then defends it with: “I saw it on Facebook.”
Curate three to five outlets you actually trust and follow those directly—if an article moves you, read past the headline.
Check the publish date—if it still holds up, share it with one sentence of your own thinking.
That’s how you signal credibility and, if you share because you’re angry or scared, sit on it for an hour.
Like letting a steak rest, the flavor improves when you don’t slice too soon.
5) Comment styles that read… strangely
ALL CAPS LIKE YOU’RE SHOUTING, or the classic parenthetical whisper (that goes on forever…) with ellipses… and five more... or dropping a single “K.” under a heartfelt post.
Younger people read tone through punctuation, spacing, and emoji choice.
A “K.” can feel cold, while ALL CAPS feels aggressive, and excessive ellipses read as passive-aggressive or anxious.
None of this is about grammar police—it’s about how tone travels online.
Quick calibration:
In a kitchen, the same sentence—“Behind”—can be a life-saving heads-up or a sharp elbow, depending on tone.
Online, punctuation is our tone.
It’s worth the extra 10 seconds.
6) Oversharing check-ins and medical blow-by-blows
Hospital check-ins with room numbers.
Daily, very detailed health updates.
Live-posting family drama.
Younger folks grew up with “stranger danger” online and the idea that once something’s public, it’s permanent and searchable.
It’s not that we don’t care.
We do, and, we just worry about safety and dignity.
Public posts can unintentionally invite scammers, data brokers, or just the wrong eyes.
If you want support, consider a private group or a Close Friends-style list.
Post a summary, not a saga.
Share a feeling, not a full chart.
Check your audience selector: “Friends,” not “Public,” unless you truly want the whole world to see.
In service, we protect guests’ privacy even from well-meaning curiosity.
The most caring thing online is often the smallest circle.
7) Finally, Marketplace and group etiquette that feels offline-only
“Is this available?” followed by silence.
Claiming an item and then vanishing.
Haggling publicly in the comments, or dropping phone numbers and addresses under the post.
Younger people treat Marketplace and buy/sell groups like semi-professional spaces.
There’s an unspoken playbook: Message privately as soon as you’re serious and ask specific questions (“Any scratches on the left side?”).
If you need to negotiate, do it respectfully and briefly.
Confirm pickup with a time window, not “sometime this week.”
Avoid posting personal contact info in public comments—use Messenger.
A quick personal win: I once sold a set of bar tools by answering with a mini-menu—“Includes shaker, strainer, jigger, bar spoon; all stainless; no dents.”
The buyer replied in ten minutes, paid full price, and showed up on time.
Clear info is hospitality, even in a Facebook sale.
The bottom line
Facebook is a shared living room with guests from every generation.
When we use it with a little more intention—private messages for private things, tags with consent, shares with context—we make it easier for everyone to be heard without stepping on toes.
Small tweaks compound.
As Will Durant put it, “We are what we repeatedly do.”
Online etiquette is just another daily habit.
Choose a few better ones, and the whole feed tastes better.
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