To Facebook or not to Facebook? That seems to be the question these days. Whether or not you are on Facebook, it’s all we hear about whenever we turn on the TV, radio, or browse the Internet. Almost daily when I’m watching the news or reading the paper, I hear something new about Facebook privacy changes or people threatening to leave Facebook because of lack of privacy. So again I ask, to Facebook or not to Facebook?
I personally have chosen “not to Facebook.” Of course, it was not always that way. I still remember the good old days when Facebook first emerged. Back when Facebook was only for college students, and it was like an exclusive online club. Nowadays everyone from my mother to my grandmother is addicted to Facebook. Needless to say, I like the other millions out there who live and breathe Facebook, found myself constantly on it, checking status updates, browsing through pictures, writing on walls.
So why did I give up Facebook? It became too much to worry about. I loved how Facebook helped me keep in touch with friends from high school, college, and old coworkers, but having to worry about who saw what, or what the new privacy changes were just became too much of a hassle. It’s nice knowing that I don’t have to worry about Facebook anymore.
Now I’m not telling you to quit cold turkey and get rid of your Facebook profile like I did, it is a great way to keep in touch with friends and colleagues or to kill time when you’re bored, but do be aware of the risks of having a social networking profile. Here are a few reminders of how to keep you Facebooking safely:
- Read through the privacy options carefully, and make sure you thoroughly understand your rights.
- Set your profile to private so only the people you want to see your profile can.
- Only friend people you actually know—if they’re not your friend in real life, why would they be your Facebook friend?
- Be aware that whatever you post online may never truly go away, so be mindful about what you share online.
- Keep in mind that whatever private information you post is there for people to see. Think twice about posting things like your address, phone number, or other personal information you don’t want everyone to know.
For more Internet safety tips, visit http://www.ncpc.org/topics/internet-safety
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