Ten years ago, I started posting about my away from work-life on social media - to an audience comprised largely of faculty at other institutions.
Why did I start?
I was at a conference & someone took a personal shot at me. I thought - you don't know my life? At that moment, I realized that I didn't know that colleague's life.
I saw a gap in my understanding. So I started posting, invited friends to follow, and hoped they would reciprocate with more about their lives.
Followers of my feed have watched my daughter grow, witnessed my travels, learned about my projects (and insecurities), seen many food pictures, celebrated my #students' wins with me, and empathized with grumbles about #Reviewer2 or the Sandbag coauthor.
Upon occasion, when a post has been too intimate or political, I've been nudged by colleagues to tone it down.
More often, I receive messages thanking me because I help others know they are not alone.
So what lessons have I learned? That might be helpful for a young academic?
First, you always have an audience. You may not receive many likes - but you have many readers - I am often caught off-guard when a casual acquaintance mentions a post or inquires about a dish that I cooked. Whether you post about work or life, what you say is heard.
Second, what you say is taken seriously. I am surprised by how many coauthors or editors worry that my occasional grumbles are about them, when in fact, they are not.
Why do they worry so much? Because at some level, many academics are neurotic and insecure. So, I've learned to never post in real-time about a negative incident - give your emotions some time to settle - and when you do post - keep it light.
Third, stay positive. Posting forced me to reframe my thinking. I went from looking at rejection as misery to looking at rejection as an opportunity to learn. I learned to see irony and humor in the travails of academic life.
Fourth, stay authentic. I struggle with work-life balance. I work diligently to let young faculty know it is ok to take time to care for a sick kid, address a #mentalhealth issue, or relax. Faculty BS detectors are robust!
Fifth, negative feedback is an opportunity to learn. Once, a Dean (not mine) criticized a post about a paper rejection. A colleague then asked me to stop posting. I revisited point three. I moderated my tone.
Sixth, don't post everything to work-related feeds. Take a step back, and remember your posts represent you, your employer, and your family. Think through your posts - some issues are better managed offline.
Ten years later, my decision to post about my life has helped me grow closer to my academic community and see the silver lining in academic life. My hope is these tips, will help young faculty do the same.
And that person who took a shot? We've become friends - because who could not love a person who also loves their kid?
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