Social Media Safety Tips

Have you ever heard the phrase: “What you post is forever?” While this may seem like the most repeated saying pertaining to social media, it is something that is crucial to remember in order to maintain your best image on social media platforms. Here are a few tips to keep you safe:

Be aware of your privacy settings: Web sites such as Facebook are always making changes to their privacy settings, so for optimal safety, ensure that only your friends can view your posts.
Forego inappropriate posts: Avoid putting up any pictures that show you doing something illegal, questionable, or tasteless. Remember that employers will look at your social media platforms.
Be careful with sensitive information: To ensure safety, avoid stating your address, phone number, or birthday.
Consider limiting your personal network: Add people on your friends list with caution, especially strangers—even if you have mutual friends in common.
Use third party applications with care: Personality quizzes and games are fun, but be careful with which apps you let access your profile.
Create strong passwords: Use passwords with a mix of letters and numbers and with at least eight characters. To find out more about how to make a strong password, read through Password Security.
Always log out on mobile devices: Although it’s convenient to keep yourself logged on to Facebook and Twitter, sign out each time when you are done using platforms such as these. If your device gets compromised, you could give away personal information to a stranger.
Be wary with check-ins: Sometimes it’s fun to let your friends and family know where you are at that exact moment, but it can be dangerous. Avoid advertising that you are on vacation until after you get home. You do not want to let people who could potentially break in to your home know that you are gone.
Know what to do if you encounter harassment: If you feel like you are being harassed or threatened, block the person in question and report it to the web site administrator.

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