Safety Has To Come Before Socializing
-Do you like to share things on Facebook and twitter? Show pictures of the beautiful scenery where you are vacationing? Not so long ago, we had to wait to get home to call our friends and family, to tell them about our trip. We had to wait for pictures to be developed so we could share them. Send post cards that usually got to them after we had already returned home. Times sure have changed.
Be cautious when you are sharing information with people. Look at what your saying and sharing through the eyes of a criminal, that could take advantage of the information you are posting. Your safety and the safety of your family has to come first. Here is a report from CNN with video of the robbery while couple was at a concert for the evening and had shared that they were going on FB. It’s title is, Facebook friend or foe.
These are some of the things you must take into consideration.
What are your privacy settings?
Who can see your posts, tweets and images?
Are your friends sharing this information with their friends?
What are their privacy settings?
What are their friends privacy settings?
Are your children at home with a young female babysitter?
Is your own teenager at home alone or with friends that are sharing with other friends that they have the house to themselves?
They call postings that have many viewers “viral” for a reason. It’s spreads like a virus and your information is like an STD, getting passed around from one to another.
If your on vacation, do NOT tell everyone your going to be away in a FB post or on other social media platforms, unless you protect yourself. If the wrong person sees you are out of town for a week, they can easily get your address and clean you out while you are away. They can even make several trips or camp out at your place for a few days, they know your not coming home till Saturday. If you really must share a picture, don’t say anything about it and turn off the “location” off in your FB app. More (bottom right on my iphone)-Account Settings-Location-Never
Protect Yourself
If your not sure who will see your posts, don’t share details that may reveal information, you would not want complete strangers to know. This includes, anything that may put you are risk. The best way, is to just pick up the cell phone to call your friends, send them pics via instant messaging or email. Wait until you get home to share the trip or outing you have enjoyed. Make notes on your phone or laptop of what you want to say or share. Send pictures to yourself with what you want to say. Make an album to share with your friends on FB and share it like that. Send a post card, it’s much more personal, if your going to be away for a long time. Social media has changed the way we share things, so we have to change our way of thinking as well.