Are you scared of social media? Published April 17, 2012 By Second Lieutenant Jerred Moon 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- While living in an ever-changing world, it can be a struggle to keep up with all of the different forms of social media, and an even greater challenge to use social media effectively and safely. The Air Force Public Affairs Agency has recently released a guide titled Navigating the Social Network - The Air Force Guide to Effective Social Media Use, to help setup Airmen, their families and Leaders for social media success. The Air Force would like for Airmen to know using social media is perfectly acceptable as long as they apply some basic principles to their use. According to the social media guidance, the Air Force views personal social media sites positively and respects your rights as Americans to use them to express yourself, it also says, you should consider how a post can be interpreted by the public. Be cautious about crossing the line between funny and distasteful. The social media guidance has great suggestions for Airmen and their families to safely use social media: Don't give criminals a chance to get your information. Be careful of the personal details, photos and videos you post to your profile on social networks. It's a good idea to always operate under the assumption that anything you post online might be stolen by criminals or adversaries. The Air Force is aware some leaders have reservations about social media, but stressed that, with proper education, social media can work for them and not against them. According to the social media guidance, social media allows information to spread quickly through global audiences, it's understandable that some Airmen may be wary of its use in an official capacity. However, educating yourself on the capabilities of social media platforms will help your organization become more effective in using them to communicate with key audiences. It is important for leaders to view social media as a way to help spread and strategically communicate the right message to the right people. According to the social media guidance, social media is a way to communicate to your Airmen, your stakeholders, the media, families, the local community and the American public with information on events and issues that affect them. Using social media can help bridge the gap for people who aren't in close proximity to an installation or know very little about the military. The guide provides a quick list of do's and don'ts for leaders and social media: Do listen to your followers and engage as necessary. Do be honest about who is maintaining a social media site. Do keep your interactions conversational and informal, yet professional. Do consider your public image when using social media professionally and personally. Do pick the right communication tools for your audiences. Don't rely on social media alone to communicate your messages. Don't stifle conversations. If a comment or post doesn't hurt anyone and doesn't violate your comment policy, don't delete it. Don't be afraid of negative comments or opinions. It's just feedback and a potential opportunity to educate people about a topic. Information from Navigating the Social Network - The Air Force Guide to Effective Social Media Use, to read the full guidance click here.