Securing Your Social Media
A positive online reputation is vital in today's digital world. Like it or not, your information is out there. What you can do is help to control it and what it says about you.
Social media is so ingrained in our society that almost everyone is connected to it in some way. With every account you sign up for, every picture you share, and every post you make, you are sharing information about yourself with not only your friends and family but the entire digital world. How can you make sure your information and reputation stay safe online? Here are a few easy steps to get you started.
- Keep it clean and positive. Make sure to post content that you feel positively reflects you, your creativity, your values, and your skills. Use the 24-hour rule before posting, allowing yourself a day before posting content that may be questionable and for time to reflect on whether it's a good idea.
- Make sure you're professional. Every post is a reflection of you. Remember that future employers may look at your social media accounts before hiring you. Your posts allow you to put your best foot forward. A positive social media presence can help create both personal and professional opportunities.
- Oversharing and geotagging. Never click and tell. It can seem like everyone posts personal information all the time, including where they are and where they live.
- Don't rely on privacy settings. Make sure to keep your social media apps up to date and check the privacy settings frequently. These settings make it harder to see your full account, but it's not impossible. There is always the chance that one of the people with access to your private account could screenshot and share the content. Tips for Protecting Your Information
Using social media positively doesn't mean you can't have fun and use it to express yourself; however, you want to ensure that you're okay with anyone seeing everything you post. Once you post something online, it's out there forever.