The Safety Concerns of Social Media
English: Infographic on how Social Media are being used, and how everything is changed by them. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
People today are spending more time online and they are using social media as a way to stay connected and as a way to interact with the people around them. While social media has offered the world a great many benefits there are safety concerns that exist. The online sphere serves as a giant fishbowl. Anyone, at any time, can see into your online life and that fact prompts safety breaches. The threat becomes even more real for people who truly choose to put their entire life on the net; such as bloggers. These three issues are the biggest safety concerns brought about by the advent of social media.
1. Job Security and Legal Trouble
When you are traceable on the internet; like everyone using a social media network is, you open yourself up to scrutiny and if what is posted is embarrassing, illegal or troubling it can and will be used against you. 33% of all divorce proceedings, for example, contained the word “Facebook” in it. Lawyers, employers and even the government are using social networking sites to gather information about you. Thankfully this problem can be combated by keeping your social media sites private and knowing the people you add to your friend’s list. Don’t say anything online that you wouldn’t want attached to you in person.
2. Making it Easier for Criminals
The social media sphere is the perfect playground for criminals because it allows them the option to check out someone without being seen or noticed. Bloggers are especially transparent so it makes it even easier for a criminal to use information about the person for nefarious reasons. For example, each day millions of people post about their life events and make it known to the public at large when they will or will not be home. They also post data that give criminals an in to their personal identity. A burglar in the area could easily surf social media for an hour a day and find people who are vacationing, getting married, or otherwise away from their home for a period of time. This is an easy in for anyone looking for a safe target to burglarize.
3.Hackers and Identity Thieves
Anyone who has a strong social media presence is opening themselves up to the potential threat of identity theft and hacked profiles. Hackers garner information to steal a profile that contains key information. This can lead to fishing for marketing leads or complete identity theft. When a hacker has your name, address and e-mail address they can gain access to just about anything that belongs to you from bank accounts to your social security number.
Conclusion
Being a part of the social media world is a non-negotiable for most people. In fact most people coudl not live without their social media profiles and for many it is a means to an end to make money and advance a career. While we live, work and play online, however, it is necessary to understand the risks and pitfalls that are associated with a large social media footprint.
Author Bio:
Ken Myers is the founder of http://www.longhornleads.com/ & has learned over the years the importance of focusing on what the customer is looking for and literally serving it to them. He doesn’t try to create a need; instead he tries to satisfy the existing demand for information on products and services.
