Using social networks allows people to stay in contact and sometimes literally know a person’s every move. Although, this is a nice way to stay connected it also can be dangerous if not careful. I read this article that provided some tips to keeping yourself and your friends safe.
The major point emphasized was to be discreet. Once you post something online it can never be fully deleted. Therefore, before posting anything make sure it is something that you are okay with being out there online forever.
Be careful when letting people know your location. Location social networks are gaining popularity rapidly and while these sites are fun, don't make it easy for someone to stalk you. The site also mentioned never make it known when you are going to be out of town or leaving your home for an extended period of time. Also, utilize the security settings provided and do not just rely on the defaults provided.
Watch who you are "friending", I am sure everyone has gotten friend requests from people that leave them thinking who in the heck is this person!!?? It isn't always wise to just click accept, because you may never know why they are wanting access to your profile.
Don't publish any personal information and be careful who you are allowing to view information such as your e-mail. I've noticed that many people have their cell phone numbers listed so if you are one of those people be careful of who you allow to view this information. One of my friends had theirs listed and began getting creepy calls from people who got it off of Facebook--you can never be too careful.
Social Networks are a fun, and easy way to stay in touch with your friends so just play it safe to ensure a positive experience.
I completely agree! I remember when MySpace was popular and my parents would not let me get on it because they thought it was too personal. I think slowly people are starting to realize that it is not safe to put every fact about you on the internet for the world to see.
ReplyDeleteI haven't gotten into the location sites yet. To be honest, they creep me out. I'd rather someone ask to see me to just know where I am. Discretion is key to safety, which should always come first.
I could not agree more! As amazing social networking is for the communication it brings us, we cannot forget that we still have to protect ourselves from identity theft... or worse. I've kept my Facebook and Twitter profiles private. I have nothing to hide but I do not want strangers possibly getting a hold of personal information, for example if I am out of town. I don't understand the people who accept friend requests on Facebook from people they have never met. I'm weary of using location based sites like 4 Square because I do not know exactly who can see when I check in somewhere. This is just another reminder that we all need to be aware of what we are publishing online.
ReplyDeleteI just wrote about something similar! You never know who really is sitting behind a computer. SO many people publish personal information that could be seen by the wrong people. Facebook is a hot spot for hackers and to be honest, creeps as well. I read that there have been cases where identity theft has happened because of social network sites. Everyone should really think twice about what they post and who they add.
ReplyDeleteI love your post. I think it is really hard to be safe while using social media network. The points you explained are the most important ones for sure, I totally agree with you. But even the most common things we post on those websites could be used against us by a stalker.
ReplyDeleteFor us, that we are aware of dangerousness of the social network it is all right, we mostly think about what to say and what to not say online before posting it. But once again, the most vulnerable are the children/teenagers. They are connected almost 24 hours on Facebook or Twitter. I have some of them in my “friends” lists and that stuns me when I see that they post online everything they do,. Like for example “Just woke up”, “Eating with whoever wherever”, “Working out wherever with whoever”, “hanging out with whoever wherever”, “time for bed now”… This kind of attitude can be very dangerous because everybody knows where this person is and what he/she is doing and with who!
How right you are Amanda, the importance of what you tweet or what you say in social media is literally viewed by the world. That world includes friends, family and most importantly potential business contacts and employers. My idea of what should be on social media is: if you can't say it to your parents in public, it doesn't need to be on the Net.
ReplyDeletegreat post and comments! I agree. sometimes people can get swept up into the social aspect and OVER share. Letting people that we dont know of our location and contact information is just setting the scene for a potentially dangerous situation. The account settings are there for a reason. Sometimes less is more.. this even applies to your social networks concerning personal information.
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