The following presentation was specifically written for the victims of traumatic brain injury as a guide to using social media. Enjoy! If you use this, please let me know at tstepherson (at) gmail.

1. Understanding
Social Media
For the West Florida Traumatic
Brain Injury support group
By Troy G. Stepherson, 2012

2. #1 Rule:
HAVE FUN!
By Troy G. Stepherson, 2012

3. 2. It’s a conversation. Say
things that invite feedback and
discourse.
By Troy G. Stepherson, 2012

4. 3. It’s also a game. See how you
can creatively use funny
#hashtags and join in on a trend.
By Troy G. Stepherson, 2012

5. 4. Don't overshare!
If you post too much, people won’t
want to subscribe to your feed or wall
unless everyone shares the exact
same interests as you. For example, it
would be acceptable to post pictures
of cats in a facebook group about cats,
but you probably want to keep the cat
pictures to a minimum of 1 per day on
your regular timeline.
By Troy G. Stepherson, 2012

6. 5. Connect.
Use it to connect with old friends,
colleagues, and family. It’s a great way
to stay connected to friends and family
(think family photos) that may be
otherwise difficult to keep in touch with.
By Troy G. Stepherson, 2012

7. 6. Make a new friend.
Reach out to people on facebook and
twitter. What could it hurt? You’d be
surprised who might share the same
interests as you.
By Troy G. Stepherson, 2012

8. 7. Beware of scams.
On that note, be cautious of strangers and
con artists. You wouldn’t tell someone on
the street where you live or when you’ll be
home or away, would you? Burglars
sometimes monitor status updates and
location check-ins to determine when
homeowners are away so they can schedule
a burglary.
By Troy G. Stepherson, 2012

9. 8. Beware of Spam!
Be aware of spam and “deals” that seem too
good to be true. Never buy something from
someone without a verified account. In your
web browser, you can tell which websites
are secure by looking for this little “lock”
icon:
in the upper left-hand corner or lower right hand
corner of your web browser window. By Troy G. Stepherson, 2012

10. 9. Still not sure?
If you’re unsure about a request or
message, ask for advice.
By Troy G. Stepherson, 2012

11. 10. Be safe and HAVE FUN!
Questions?
By Troy G. Stepherson, 2012