Love Social Media? Stay Careful with These Tips
There is no question about the impact that social media has had on our lives; what started out as a simple platform to share photos and thoughts with friends quickly became a worldwide phenomenon with more than 2.7 billion active users around the world. Yes, that is just for Facebook. The launch of the popular social media website led to the subsequent platforms that became increasingly popular, like Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and others.
While it is tempting to use these social media platforms to share what goes on in your life, it can also be risky. Exposure means that strangers have a glimpse into your life, which can put you at risk. To protect yourself from the paroles of over-sharing, here are 10 things you should never share on social media.
What Not to Share on Social Media?
The nest time that you pick up your phone to share something new on social media, take a couple of minutes, and avoid sharing the following:
The details of your next vacation
Yes, travel is a bit tricky these days, but when the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, people will once again travel the country and the world. When you get back into travel-mode, you should avoid sharing the details of your vacay on social media; robbers and criminals just wait for information on when people will be out of their house and for how long. You can never know who is watching your profile, so while excited about your trip, you should not provide every detail about it.
Your dirty laundry
Social media sites are not personal journals nor private phone calls with friends, so you should not treat them as such. If you have dirty laundry to air out, do it with a friend and not with your phone screen. When airing out your grievances, things can be taken out of context, people can screenshot what you shared, and even if you delete what you wrote, someone else can save it. The information can get to future love interests, employers, and other people who way judge you based on a single point in time, and you definitely don’t want that to happen.
Your current location
Much like with sharing your future destinations, you should avoid sharing your current location. When you share where you are, people can use your empty house to steal things, and if someone is online stalking you, they can get to where you are and even follow you home. You can share snaps and special moments once you are home, but sharing your current location is not a good idea.
Photos/videos of other people without their permission
This should be a given, but many people are used to sharing photos of others that sometimes they forget that permission should be granted first. Even if you took photos and videos of close friends that you are close with, make sure they are okay with you posting them on social media. People outside your close circle can watch what you uploaded, which can negatively affect the person in the posts, so get a little "yes" before you blast personal moments on social media.
Certain photos of your children
Sharing sweet moments is common for parents who want others to see their adorable children. However, you need to remember that when posting photos of your kids, you are exposing yourself to possible criticism, and your children to strangers. Bath-time photos, children without clothing, and other innocent moments can turn into something sinister in the wrong hands, especially with sexual predators, so keep certain moments of your children to family group chats and don't post them on social media.
Selfies that expose a bit too much
There is nothing wrong with taking sexy pics of yourself, but when you post them on social media, they turn into public property. Aside from the fact that personal photos can be passed around strangers, those photos can be seen by people that you don’t want, like employers, family members, and other people. While you should feel free to do with your body as you please, you should keep in mind that other people do not share your world view, and certain whimsical moments can be takes out of context, which can hurt you.
Financial information
If you are successful, congrats! You have probably achieved a better financial status than other people, but should you boast about it? the answer is no; letting people know about how well you are doing is like inviting them into your bank account, which is never a good idea. If you want to share your lifestyle, be picky about what you share; do not upload photos of expensive items, pics of your wallet, your car, or any other thing that people can use to find out personal financial information about you. An innocent photo of a car can be used to track down your location based on your vehicle's license plate, so be careful with what you share.
Social media is a great way to share special moments from your life and talk about things that are on your mind. However, oversharing can put you at risk, and you can never know how the things that you upload will are preserved and used. By taking a few moments to think about the things that you about to share and avoiding risky posts, you can enjoy social media and stay safe at the same time.
