Social Media
Brooke Dyson
Social media is a miraculous thing.
Social media refers to interactions between people in which they create, share, and/or exchange information and ideas in virtual communities and networks; and this could be used in a negative or positive way. It is recorded that 56% of Americans have a profile on a social networking site.
Facebook is one of the most popular forms of social media, with there being 1.39 billion active mobile users worldwide.
Twitter is also up there on the popular side of social media, with 500 million tweets per day.
Another example is Instagram; which is reported to have 300 million active monthly users.
But there are some downsides and dangers to using social media. Here's how to stay safe.
Check the privacy and security settings.
These live-savers exist for a reason. People can access these settings to manage who sees their posts, and change their online experience positively.
Change your passwords regularly.
Yes, I know, it may be a pain to do this; especially over all of your accounts. But doing this can shoo away any hackers that may have scrambled their way into your account. It is recommended to change your passwords across all of your accounts you may have online every three to six months, but do NOT use the same password! The reason being, if one of your accounts gets hacked, then you will have all of your other accounts put at risk of also being hacked.
Be honest if you're uncomfortable.
If someone you know posts something online that makes you uncomfortable, or that you think might be inappropriate, don't be afraid to let them know. But also, stay open minded if someone who knows you gets uncomfortable about something you post, and comes to you about it.
Know what actions to take.
If you are being harassed or threatened online, be sure to block them, and report them to the site administrator.