Are we in danger every day?

The dangers of social media to individuals

There are many dangers to users of social media, here are some that I think hit the hardest.

“Stranger Danger”
People find it hard to judge strangers they meet in person, and it’s even harder to tell friends from enemies online this is made harder because many people on social media are not who they say they are.

Don’t Reveal Too Much
By revealing too much information about yourself on your social media gives ammunition to strangers with bad intents. For example if you post the obligatory airport post "off for two weeks to sunny Spain" then all of your friends and friends of friends now know your
house is empty for two weeks and can break in especially if your address is available to the public as they can use google street view to see exactly where the access points are and any security cameras are situated.

Hidden Info in Photos 
Beware of posting pictures as they contain EXIF data (information about the camera you took the photo with) which can contain location information, which could potentially help a stranger find you.

Cyber bullying
Cyber bullying has increased with the rising popularity of social media, online chat rooms, blogs and personal websites. People who participate in social networking sites or post personal information on websites or blogs are more likely to be cyber bullied. One way to prevent cyber bullying is to adjust your account settings to private to avoid unwanted visitors seeking private information.

Identity theft
Unconsciously (or sometimes, consciously), you provide personal details you would not share otherwise on your social media accounts. Information such as your full name (including your middle name), date of birth, hometown, pet names, interests and hobbies, nature of work, and home or office address are just some of the personal details you post on your profile. Criminals can easily manipulate these details to commit fraud. 


For help with cyber bullying and privacy settings please read this article


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Comments

  1. The image you have chosen fits in so well with your topic as it really does explain that people can lose control of their life due to things happening on social media. You have so much relevant which could help a lot of people who are struggling with issues due to social media accounts. I never knew anything about 'EXIF' images until I read this. Well done!

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    1. Thank you Lauren for your kind words, I am glad you learned something new and like the image I decided to use.

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  2. Yes I agree with all of this. I have recently just been explaining to my son that even a photo with his school tie in it reveals so much information to strangers. There are so many dangers and until they are pointed out you don't think of them. We need to educate people and stay safe! Glad to say that schools have a visit from the community police to highlight these issues.

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    1. I agree Sharon, our youth especially don't realise how much danger they are in daily. I am glad you agree with me that educating people is the way forward!

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  3. i like how you have broke it up into sub heading, it looks very professional and well set out. i really like the image as it is used up of many different social media platforms and its very descriptive. the link to another website is very useful as well. thank you!!

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