Social Networking

Here are some tips and questions you should ask to help protect you when using social networking sites.

Do you own your online presence?You don’t have to rely on “recommended” settings or default settings.  Learn about the controls available and make your own decisions.  It's okay to limit with whom you share your information.  It is okay to not accept a friend request.

Do you know who will see what you post?Consider who may have access to your profile: family, friends, friends of friends, your school, college admissions officers, and potential employers? Set the privacy and security settings to your personal comfort level for information sharing.

Did you know your online reputation can help you? Create a strong, positive personal brand online for yourself online. Show your smarts, thoughtfulness, and mastery of the digital environment. This can help you with school admissions and during job searches.

Did you know your online reputation can hurt you?What you post will be around for a long time. Think ahead and evaluate if what you post today is what you will want people to know about you in the future.

Did you know your privacy is only as protected as your least reliable friend allows it to be?When you choose to share information with anyone in your networks, they can easily forward it or post. Make sure they will handle your information with care and trust.  Avoid sharing compromising photos and information.

Is your password long, strong and unique? Combine capital and lowercase letters with numbers and symbols in a unique password for each online account.  Passwords are personal information that should not be shared.

Do you know what information you should not share on a profile page?Your phone numbers, home address, full date of birth, travel plans, email address, class schedules, social security number, passwords, family financial information, bank or credit card numbers shouldn’t appear on your profile.

Do you know that your friends trust you with their information?Post only about others what you would have them post about you. It’s the golden rule.