Oversharing on social media can be dangerous
Before we begin, there is absolutely nothing wrong with sharing happy, sad or exciting moments in your life on social media. That’s what social media is for – it’s for you to be social whilst sharing bits and pieces about your life. Posting graduation pictures, pictures with friends at your favourite restaurant or a selfie at a touristy location is something we all do. Why? Well, we like people to see what our lives are like now and then.
But here’s the catch. A person who constantly broadcasts their current location or posting a picture that has important details attached to it like your ID number or credit card information can be very, very dangerous. So, here are a few steps for you to move from selfies to self-awareness when it comes to posting on social media..
- Keep personal information offline
Social media platforms like Facebook have often been referred to as a stalker’s paradise. Almost everyone is on Facebook and it’s incredibly easy to find someone you’re looking for. It’s important to keep information regarding your address, mobile number or email address off social media.
- Think about what you post
It’s completely natural to want to share good news with friends and family on social media but just be careful about how much you’re sharing. For example, if you search a hashtag such as #NewHome or #DriversLicense, you may see people standing in front of their new homes with a number on it or a bunch of happy youth holding their license cards with all their information on it. Make sure you go through your photos thoroughly before posting them.
- Always update security settings
An important habit to get into is to constantly update and change your passwords for every account you have. Keeping the same password across all accounts and platforms could end badly if someone manages to hack into your account/s. Always use lower and uppercase letters, a number and symbol when creating passwords.
- Turn off your location
Most social media platforms allow you to add a location when you post a picture. The best time to use geolocation tags is when you’re not within that vicinity. This is because it allows strangers to find you very easily and this can be very dangerous for you.
Make sure you’re always aware of what you post on social media and be safe online!
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