Social media usage has shown a huge increase during the last few years. Social media giant Facebook boasts almost two and a half billion users, and most of them use the platform on a daily basis. For some professions, you don’t exist without a LinkedIn profile, and small businesses heavily rely on Pinterest and Instagram to connect with their customer base. On the other hand, identity theft has exponentially grown.
How to stay on the safe side? Here are a few suggestions.
About You
On most platforms, the “about me” section can be overlooked. Keep this section to basic facts and never share personal details such as a phone number or personal address.
Privacy Settings And Policies
Before signing up for any platform, understand their privacy policies. Will they disclose your information to third parties? For what purposes? Can you choose what information is shared? While most major platforms clearly state that they will share your information, you have a certain amount of control. If you are unaware of what information is displayed about you, an email search can help, as most of the time, social media accounts are linked to your email.
Each platform has privacy settings that you can enable. To some extent, you can decide who sees what. Understand these settings and use them to your advantage. For the most part, it is recommended that you keep your accounts private, closed to your contact list. If you don’t, everything you share will be publicly displayed and can be shared and used without your consent. Always choose strong passwords and enable two-step verification when available.
Try disabling all third party plug-ins and disable localization. You can set localization tracker for only when an app is in use (such as Google Maps, or when sharing your location via WhatsApp).
Be Mindful Of What You Share
An image shared years ago can cost you a job opportunity. Why? Your digital footprint is never erased. That picture of you drunk in your dorm room while in college may be the reason why the CEO of your prospective company decided not to make an offer. Go through all your accounts and verify that everything posted is safe to share and will depict a positive image of yourself.
Nine Things You Should Not Do When Sharing On Social Media
Here are nine good tips what you should or shouldn’t do when sharing your life on social media:
- Never share exact details of travel.
- Never share financial information or post pictures of your credit cards.
- Avoid sharing complaints of your current or past employers, as this is a red flag for hiring managers.
- Research what you share and be on the look for fake news. It’s easy to spread rumors or cause fear without basis.
- Never share passwords.
- Avoid sharing pictures or information about your children. If you have older children who want to be active on social media, set parental controls and have open talks about the dangers of disclosing too much information.
- Don’t disclose your regular schedule.
- Be kind. A violent rant may have consequences that you can never imagine.
- Be careful not to share images that include geolocation.
Additionally, always be careful of who you allow in your network. Never accept people you don’t know or chat with strangers. Never click on any links on messages that seem shady, even if you think they come from your friends. A common way to hack user accounts is to send links from an already hacked account. This applies to posts and personal messages. If you receive a message from a friend and you believe that there’s something off, notify them immediately.
While social media is an excellent form to keep in touch with the world, it should be used with caution.
See related post: How Important Is Keeping Your LinkedIn Profile Updated?
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[Images – Main Photo by Henry Hustava on Unsplash; Girl: Photo by Andrey Zvyagintsev on Unsplash; other images from their respective websites and/or social platforms]
A Geek & Internet Freak currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in degree in Business and Information Technology. A die-hard digital marketer fan who keeps track of every little happening in the SEO industry.