Social Networking Question
Social networking is a new age form of communication that has penetrated our lives in this century creating a flat universe. Social networking is an art embraced by many people across the world irrespective of gender, race, political boundaries, professions, careers, age culture, and ethnicity among many others.
In order to join any social network family one needs to create an account that requires one to have a profile. Creating your own profile demands one to provide his or her personal details first for registration and signing up.
As with virtually any use of the internet, social networking has its dangers. Four key important questions to ask ourselves are:
First: How Does Social Networking Affect My Privacy?
The Bible records in Proverbs 10:19 that “In the abundance of words there does not fail to be transgression, but the one keeping his lips in check is acting discreetly."
What one should know is that if you are not careful, your profile information, photos, status updates (short messages to everyone on your list of friends), and comments (your replies to others' status updates) could reveal too much. For example, they might reveal such things as where you live, when you are (and are not) at home, where you work, or where you go to school. Your address along with a brief post such as, “We leave for vacation tomorrow!” is enough for example to tell a thief where and when to strike.
Other details—for instance, your e-mail address, your date of birth, or your phone number— could leave you open to harassment, bullying, or identity theft. Yet, many people readily divulge such information on their social networking page.
People tend to forget that once they post something online, it is in the public domain even if they specify that their status updates are to be shared with “Friends Only,” they have no control over what those friends might do with the information. Anything posted on a social network should be viewed as public or as material that can easily be made public.
What one can do is to be thoroughly familiar with the privacy settings on your social network, and use them. Restrict access to your status updates and photos to people you know and trust. Even then, realize that what you post can be made more public than you intend. Regularly review your page, and ask yourself whether anything you have revealed could be used by unscrupulous individuals to locate you or to steal your identity. Even among your friends, do not post information that could violate your privacy or the privacy of another person.
The bottom line is that if you are mindful of what you are doing you can maintain a measure of privacy on a social network for it doesn't lead to trouble unless you let it.
In order to join any social network family one needs to create an account that requires one to have a profile. Creating your own profile demands one to provide his or her personal details first for registration and signing up.
As with virtually any use of the internet, social networking has its dangers. Four key important questions to ask ourselves are:
First: How Does Social Networking Affect My Privacy?
The Bible records in Proverbs 10:19 that “In the abundance of words there does not fail to be transgression, but the one keeping his lips in check is acting discreetly."
What one should know is that if you are not careful, your profile information, photos, status updates (short messages to everyone on your list of friends), and comments (your replies to others' status updates) could reveal too much. For example, they might reveal such things as where you live, when you are (and are not) at home, where you work, or where you go to school. Your address along with a brief post such as, “We leave for vacation tomorrow!” is enough for example to tell a thief where and when to strike.
Other details—for instance, your e-mail address, your date of birth, or your phone number— could leave you open to harassment, bullying, or identity theft. Yet, many people readily divulge such information on their social networking page.
People tend to forget that once they post something online, it is in the public domain even if they specify that their status updates are to be shared with “Friends Only,” they have no control over what those friends might do with the information. Anything posted on a social network should be viewed as public or as material that can easily be made public.
What one can do is to be thoroughly familiar with the privacy settings on your social network, and use them. Restrict access to your status updates and photos to people you know and trust. Even then, realize that what you post can be made more public than you intend. Regularly review your page, and ask yourself whether anything you have revealed could be used by unscrupulous individuals to locate you or to steal your identity. Even among your friends, do not post information that could violate your privacy or the privacy of another person.
The bottom line is that if you are mindful of what you are doing you can maintain a measure of privacy on a social network for it doesn't lead to trouble unless you let it.
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