Safe SocialNetworking

How many of you use a social networking website?

Which social networking websites do you use?

Did you know?

• There are over 901 million monthly active Facebook users The Realtime Report

• 8 out of 10 teens use social networking websitesPew Internet

Stranger DangerTop 10 Things You Should Not Share on Social Networks

09 Personal ConversationsDo not post personal messages on your wall or someone else’s wall. If it isn’t something you would share with a random stranger, don’t post it.

08 Social PlansSharing your social plans can make some of your friends feel left out. If you’re going to share your plans, make sure that it is something that you’d feel comfortable inviting all of your Facebook friends too.

07 Linking SitesSocial networks allow you to link your profiles between sites. For example, you can link your Twitter and Facebook profiles together. Keep this in mind every time you post. Everything you post will be seen by your friends across all of your linked profiles.

06 Photos of Friends & FamilySharing photos of your friends and family may seem harmless, but they can provide quite a bit of information about you and the people in the photos. A picture is worth 1,000 words. If the people in the photo are tagged, all of your friends are now able to access the tagged person’s profile (depending on their privacy settings).

05 Your Address & Phone NumberIf your address is posted on your profile and you make a post announcing that you are out of town on vacation, you’re opening the door for a burglar to invite themselves over. Posting your phone number can be just as bad. It is not hard to look up a name and address just from a phone number.

04 Financial InformationSimply mentioning what bank you or your parents use can be enough for identity thieves to use to steal your identity or commit credit card fraud.

03 Your PasswordThis one seems like a no brainer right? Imagine you give your password to your brother or sister or even your best friend. What happens when this person is upset with you in the future? They now have access to a lot of your personal information.

02 Your Password Hints & Questions

Having someone know the answers to your password questions and hints is just as dangerous as having someone know your password. With just the answers to your password recovery questions, someone can sometimes access your account. Keep this in mind when choosing which questions to use for password recovery.

01 Anything You Don’t Want SharedAnything you share has the potential to be leaked in some way. Apps within Facebook are given access to a lot of your personal information. That can be just as bad as giving a stranger your password. When in doubt, don’t share it. Remember, once you post something, it could be there forever. You can’t always take it back.

Online EtiquetteCyber Etiquette Tips for Teens

07 Cyber FingerprintsRemember everything you post online is traceable even after you delete it. Think before you post.

06 DON’T USE ALL CAPSUsing all caps is a form of internet shouting and can be rude to the person reading your post.

05Don’t Post While AngryIt is easy to get angry and want to run straight to Facebook to make a post about what just happened to you. Unfortunately, it’s a very bad idea. What you post stays there forever. Give yourself some time to calm down before expressing your feelings in a permanent form online.

04 Use Different Usernames & Passwords

It’s not a good idea to use the same username and password for multiple websites. If someone figures out one username and password, they know them all and can access all of your accounts.

03 Don’t Use Silly Email AddressYou’ll want to continue using the same email address for a long time (if not forever). Make sure your email address is something that you’ll be comfortable sharing with someone years from now. Having to change your email address in the future can be a challenging process.

02Think Before You Share PhotosBefore you post a photo of your friends, stop and consider if you think their parents would be OK with the picture. If they wouldn’t be OK with it or if you’re not sure, don’t post it.

01Use the Golden RuleIf you wouldn’t say something to someone’s face and in front of the whole school and your family, don’t say it online either.

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