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.)..