Jul 21 2009
BEWARE the Dangers of Social Networking Sites
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BEWARE the Dangers of Social Networking Sites!
With the increase in the popularity of social networking websites they seem to have become an integral part of our lives. There are so many different reasons we find these sites important. Firstly, it allows a person to be in contact with their friends and family at anytime, anywhere. Secondly, they have quite an entertainment value, as it enables people share pictures, comments, music, and videos. Lastly, it is also presents new ways for businesses to connect with potential customers. You may find these sites interesting and interactive, but there are so many hidden dangers of social networking sites that you need to keep in mind as well.
In this article you will learn about the different dangers of social networking sites.
The first thing that you must know, before registering to any social networking website, is that most of them are public profiles. Therefore, all your pictures, videos and music files can be easily viewed and stored locally by various, even users in different countries. Although most of the social networking websites provide you the authority to choose the people with whom you share your profile, these sites do not grant you total authority, and you may be at risk because your information can be misused.
What is social networking?
Social networking websites are a great way of finding long lost friends, creating new friendships, and enhancing existing ones. You will also receive friend requests from people whom you don’t know. Therefore, it is advisable that you befriend only those people whom you know you can trust. If you accept the friend request of people who are unknown to you they can save your information and unfairly use it against you. Therefore, if you want to stay away from this danger in social networking, this is important that you are aware of this.
Is social networking good or bad?
Is social networking good or bad? This is a question that has to be answered thoughtfully. Although there are many dangers in social networking sites, there is also an advantage to being able to connect with your friends, family members, and possible customers and peers in your field. Not only can you chat with the people living anywhere in the world, it is cheaper than other forms of communication. The question you really need to ask yourself is, “how comfortable am I with cyber experience.” Experts around the world still debate this, and it really is a more subjective question that you must answer for yourself. It is just important to be aware that social networking sites make you visible to everyone, and it is possible that your reputation may be affected if you are not careful regarding the information you place in cyber space.
Should social networking sites be banned?
If the above question is answered as yes, then it many people around the world would be upset at not being able to connect with the ones they love and with whom they work. With identities being stolen and pictures being used inappropriately, many of these sites have increased the level and reliability of the protection they offer their members.
If the answer to the above question is “no,” it is up to the user on the site to ensure that his or her information is protected. Members can easily block unwanted visitors to their profile and can also restrict their profiles to be viewed privately, rather than allowing the general public to have access to the content on their pages.
Did you check the security offered by the social networking site of your choice —- BEFORE you created an account with them?
Not all social networking websites provide the same levels of security. Some of them can be more open and liable to allow obscenity to the general public. Therefore, before creating any account on just any social networking website, it is important that you learn how the site works and how they distribute the information you place in their site.
There are few pointers that can help you differentiate between a “good” and “bad” social networking website. The most effective way to decide if the site you have chosen provides the security you want, is to find out if the site allows you to lock your personal data and information. If they will not allow this, and they insist that your information is to be viewed by everyone who visits your profile then, this should be a warning sign! These types of sites can be very risky and on these sites, you might be more likely to risk your reputation, should your information be stolen by another person.
Before you join a social networking site, it is important that you read the terms and conditions and the privacy policy of the website so that you have information about the distribution of the content that you keep in your profile. It is long and tedious to read through all of this, but remember that it is a binding legal document. There are several social networking websites that may keep your information as well as your pictures. They automatically become the property of that site, even if you delete it from your profile, or delete your profile altogether. Therefore, when you are deleting your information or removing any personal photographs from your profile you must make sure that it is in their policy that it is also removed from the history/records of the networking website.
Great advice thanks!
Lindsay