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If you’re squeamish about social media or too shy to chat it up online, you may feel a little left out on social media platforms. There was an interesting post on another blogger’s site here recently about cliques titled: Do Cliques Still Exist?

I never gave it a thought until I ran across this article. First thought, WOW! I also never knew there were really “cliques” per se, on social media. Whenever I thought of cliques it usually gave me a visual of high school and the movie “Mean Girls.” Why should it be different online?

Cliques will always exist—in real life and online. There will always be that individual or group you like more than another or like spending time with more (kinda like some parents that don’t have a favorite child, but deep down…just saying). A few neighbors you hang with versus the one or two across the street or down the road you don’t, the co-workers you take breaks with versus the few that don’t break. Lots of married couples hang with other married couples. Guess what? That’s a clique!

Same goes for bloggers, friends and followers on social media, you’re more social with some than you are with the rest…obvi. It would be impossible to personally socialize with all the hundreds and thousands of bloggers, friends and followers online on a regular (though we do our best to keep up).

It may leave you wondering, “How can I compete with all these cliques?” Well, you know the saying, “If you can’t beat ’em…join ’em!” For those of you that feel left out of certain cliques/circles or you feel criticized, don’t look at cliques as necessarily evil, but more so as a necessary evil if you plan to survive online. You are online because at some point you want exposure, so don’t take it too personal. Social media is not always fluffy with puppy dogs, rainbows and kittens just like the real world is not. It can bite, but will you bite back is the question?

It can devour you whole if you stay in the mind set that people don’t like you, or are not responding to your content, forcing you to feel even more shunned. I think the important thing when you feel that way is to ask yourself why you are online in the first place. Is it for business or personal reasons? This will help you adjust your attitude towards your true goal.

Maintain a level head and your grace because sometimes there are certain people who do take pleasure in the mental and emotional torture of others—even more, the others whose skin they know they can get under, making you lose your religion as the older folk used to say when I was growing up.

Bite the bullet and not always your tongue. Don’t be a doormat for anyone. Don’t allow anyone to cause you to recoil. You have a voice, use it to reign in the positive people you want in your circle. Tweet, blog and chat to your heart’s content!

Do you feel left out on social media?