It seems that almost everyone uses some form of social media these days. They use it to keep current, connect with friends, and even make new friends, yet relatively few people think about the problems that such connectivity can cause. A June, 2010, Consumer Reports Magazine article, entitled "Social Insecurity," points out some of these concerns. Among them are the risk of identity theft and exposure to malware, viruses, and other computer problems.
The Consumer Reports article also suggest "7 things to stop doing on Facebook":
- Using a weak password
- Leaving your full birth date in your profile
- Overlooking useful privacy controls
- Posting a child's name in a caption
- Mentioning that you will be away from home
- Letting search engines find you
- Permitting children to use Facebook unsupervised
In addition, students in particular should be wary of posting too much information about themselves, particularly information that can be viewed negatively by future employers.
