What is Safe Social Networking?

Many of us think that we know what social networking and how it helps us. The truth is a lot of us are on social networks simply just to be there. At this point in society, our lives pretty much revolve around being on social networks and making sure that our presence is known online. In fact, many of us don’t even consider what a social network could do for us before sign up to use one Have you ever thought to yourself what is social networking and what is it doing for me?

Social Networking is the use of dedicated websites and applications to interact with others. This basically means that there are certain platforms that are specially designed for people to interact with one another whether it is communicating via pictures or sending instant messages to one another from around the world. Some popular social networking platforms include Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.  Mark Zuckerburg, the co-founder, chairman and CEO of Facebook quoted, “When you give everyone a voice and give people power, the system usually ends up in a really good place. So, what we view our role as, is giving people that power.” Again, in terms of social networking, this quote is basically saying that once people have a platform to voice their opinions on and also have a platform where they can freely communicate, it will bring in many benefits whether it’s in terms of business or maybe even bringing light to social issues that need to be addressed.

Social Networking is a part of lives that is probably unavoidable and for most of us pretty tempting. 

In today’s society, most of us are unable to stay away from our phones for the reason that we want to stay up to date with what’s going on our social networking sites. Social networking is very useful when it comes to communicating with people. In fact, more and more employers are now looking towards prospective employees who do know how to be active on social networks while protecting their online image. So, along with having easy access to communication across the world, there are benefits in terms of employment as well.

Tips for Safe Social Networking

On social networking sites, being safe is key to any online interactions. Although, on most social networking sites such as Facebook, you are interacting with the people that you actually know or people that you have mutual friends with, it is still important to be aware of your safety and to also protect yourself from any risks. On social networks, it is ALWAYS better to be safe than sorry.  Here are some tips to help with social networking:

o   Make Use of Privacy and Security- On every social networking site, there are privacy and security settings available and they are there for a reason. Not only do privacy and security settings lower if not eliminate the risk of your personal information being leaked but it also helps prevent the risk of crimes such as identity theft. For example, with Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIN, you are able to customize and decide who is allowed to see the content you post, and it is a given that you do not want a random person to be stalking your profile and being able to see everything you post including pictures (Social Networks, n.d.)..

o   Personal Information is Personal- It is critical to be aware and careful with how much information you post online. Never give out any personal information online if you wouldn’t provide it to someone over the phone or even in person. The more information that is given online via your social networking profile or that you post, the easier it becomes for someone to be able to use that  same information to commit crimes such as hacking and identity theft or even having access to your personal data (Social Networks, n.d.).. It is also common sense as well. Why would anyone want to put themselves in a situation where they are being exposed to many risks by providing unnecessary information that does not even need to be posted online? (Social Networks, n.d.).

o   Bigger doesn’t always mean better- Some of the hype behind social media is creating a large pool of friends from many parts of your life that might include school and work. Just because you have so many friends, it doesn’t mean all friends are equal. Use tools to manage the information you share with friends in different groups or even have multiple online pages. If you’re trying to be a blogger, the best option is to have an open fan page that encourages participation and very limited personal info. Use a separate profile that’s privatized from the world but open to your family friends  (Social Networks, n.d.).

o   Once Posted, Always Posted- Be very careful in regards to the content you post online. Protect your reputation on social networks as your social network is ultimately in your hands. Always remember what you post online stays online. Think twice before posting pictures you wouldn’t want your parents or future employers to see. Recent research found that 70% of job recruiters rejected candidates based on information they found online (Social Networks, n.d.).

o   Be aware of how you are interacting on social media- Many of the employers will now look at your profiles on social networks to see how you interact and also what you post online and can even affect your chances of getting the job (Social Networks, n.d.)..

The Impacts of Not Being Safe Online and Cyberbullying

As mentioned in an earlier post, it is crucial to be careful in terms of what you post online and what you share with people you really don’t know. A very famous case of cyber-bullying is the case of Amanda Todd. Amanda Todd was a teen from British Columbia who decided to take her own life on October 10, 2012 after being cyber bullied for several years before she ended her life (The Unforgettable Amanda Todd Story, 2015). The cyber-bullying began after Todd had sent nude images to a person she had met over social media. For Todd, the cyber-bullying became unbearable as she had tried everything from moving schools to going through counselling (The Unforgettable Amanda Todd Story, 2015). The case of Amanda Todd is definitely one to learn from. It shows the importance of protecting yourself online. It also shows the importance of not posting something you would not be comfortable with if others saw it.

The Benefits of Social Networking

Social Networking comes with a lot of benefits as long as it is done right. These benefits range from being able to communicate very easily with one another to developing key skills. One of the benefits that comes from social networking is being able to communicate instantly with someone at the other end of the world. For example, if I wanted to deliver a message to someone in Australia, I would not have to wait two or three weeks for a reply, I could just use social media to send the message and get a reply within the next day if not instantly

Social Networking also comes with benefits when it comes to the younger generations as it helps them develop key skills. Social networking teaches the young people especially people new to social media how to become independent online by teaching them how to be safe as well as teaching them how to manage and recognize risky issues  (Benefits Of Internet and Social Media, n.d.). Social networking also helps the young generation in developing real world skills. Social networking teaches youngsters how to manage an online presence and also how to interact effectively and efficiently (Benefits Of Internet and Social Media, n.d.). Being able to manage an online presence in terms of how you portray yourselves and being able to interact with others effectively is a key skill that many employers are now looking for when they hire (Benefits Of Internet and Social Media, n.d.). In today’s society, employers are now looking towards candidates who are able to adapt to new technologies, services and environments as they look at that as a valuable skill because they facilitate for learning both formally and informally. More and more employers are looking towards candidates who have these skills and also for those who can use social media effectively (Benefits Of Internet and Social Media, n.d.).

Social media also holds importance when looking for jobs and being considered for certain positions. Social networking can help you discover different job opportunities as you network with different people on various social networks/platforms. Moreover, a lot of employers will look at networks such as LinkedIn and sometimes even Facebook after interviews to see if you are the right fit for the job based on how you interact online and maintain a positive online presence/ image. For positions such as sales, where being able to interact with others is a key skill, if employers see that you can effectively interact and engage in conversation, it is very likely that you will get the job.

Apart from the fact that social networking has endless benefits when it comes to employment or easy communication and how much easier it can make everything. It took me a while to actually turn social networking into effective communication with others when talking face to face as well. The biggest thing can be achieved from social networking is actually learning how to talk to people face to face and how to communicate. Once you start communicating via social networks, talking in person just feels a lot easier.

List of Ways Social Networks Can Be Used

Social networks can be used in several different ways.

• Communicating instantly with one another
• Advertising different services and products
• Expansion of business networks
• Highlight certain social issues such as bullying and discrimination
• Useful for business communication purposes
  

References

References

    Benefits of internet and social media. (n.d.). Retrieved September 25, 2015, from http://au.professionals.reachout.com/benefits-of-internet-and-social-media

   Social Networks | StaySafeOnline.org. (n.d.). Retrieved September 14, 2015, from https://www.staysafeonline.org/stay-safe-online/protect-your-personal-information/social-networks

 The Amanda Todd Story|NoBullying|. (2013, April 21). Retrieved September 29, 2015, from http://nobullying.com/amanda-todd-story/