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| Photo Source:Maker Mistaker |
If it was up to my mom, I would post everything on social media. Every accomplishment, every photo of my
baby, every sweet text from my fiancé, and pretty much anything that would give
the world a closer look into my personal life. Luckily, I’m a bit more
reserved. While I do enjoy sharing photos on Instagram, Tweeting my favorite
articles, and Facebooking some of my favorite memories, I do take precautions
to protect my identity. I guess you could call me “Digitally Enlightened.”
Morrison (2016) describes this realized user as, “a proactive individual who demonstrates
heightened awareness.” This user takes caution with security threats by
ensuring social media privacy settings are updated and thinks twice before sharing
something on social media.
When it comes to social media, I’m mostly active on
Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. My Instagram and Facebook settings are set to
private so only followers I accept can view my posts. Since my settings are set
to private, I’m more open to sharing photos of my family on the platforms and
only connect with friends and family. On the other hand, my Twitter is public
as I use it to communicate with media (I work in PR) and other business
purposes. For that reason, I’m more cautious with what I share. I’ve used the
outlet to establish my personal brand. My Twitter bio gives users a glimpse of
who I am and I Tweet about my interests and day to day duties in the workforce.
If I get client coverage, I tweet it. If I can relate to an article I read online,
I tweet it. I’ve been able to establish my personal brand by choosing to share
certain information on each outlet and it has helped protect my identity.
For new social media users, I’d advise them to always ensure
security settings are up to date to know exactly who they are sharing
information to. I’d also recommend that users taking precautions to protect personal
identify from hackers. Choose your own security questions that are hard to
guess, don’t click links from an untrustworthy source, and type the address of
social media sites directly into the browser (Microsoft, n.d.).
Parents should also teach kids the importance of protecting
personal identity at an early age. Young kids now have access to technology and
social media, making them the most vulnerable to cyber hacks. By learning how
to protect themselves online at an early age, it can avoid any potential
security threats.
References
Microsoft (n.d.). 11 tips for social networking safety. Retrieved
from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/online-privacy/social-networking.aspx
Morrison, K. (2016). Social Media Users Unwilling to
Sacrifice Social Presence for Security (Infographic). Retrieved from http://www.adweek.com/socialtimes/social-media-users-unwilling-to-sacrifice-social-presence-for-security-infographic/634403
Alyssa,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your thoughts! It sounds as though you strike a good balance between developing your personal brand while remaining aware of potential threats online. I predominately utilize Instagram and Facebook for personal use, and keep an up to date LinkedIn profile for professional connections and networking. Do you use LinkedIn be it in your personal or professional life? I had never used Twitter until this class and am still unsure if I will continue to participate on that platform once it’s concluded.
Social media security settings are very important to giving the user control over their information. There are many resources out there that guide users in setting up their security preferences across different platforms however as Trend Micro admits “because trends and technologies constantly change and evolve, it’s difficult to summarize a set of defined best practices” (Trend Micro, 2015). It really becomes the users’ responsibility to keep themselves knowledgeable on the various settings.
Great point about the importance of parents educating their children about protecting their identity online. “Maintaining communication about what children's online activities are and with whom they are networking, and establishing rules regarding the disclosure of personal information, are key to providing a context in which children can reap the benefits of new technologies while still learning how to protect themselves” (Mitrano, 2006). This is an entirely different realm of security on social media. Do you think this notion is one that should be integrated into an educational setting such as local school systems?
~Nicole
Resources
Mitrano, T. (2006, January 1). A Wider World: Youth, Privacy, and Social Networking Technologies. Retrieved from http://er.educause.edu/articles/2006/1/a-wider-world-youth-privacy-and-social-networking-technologies
Trend Micro (2015, March 12). How to Improve Your Privacy and Security on Social Media. Retrieved from http://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/us/security/news/online-privacy/how-to-improve-your-privacy-and-security-on-social-media
Hi Nicole,
ReplyDeleteTwitter has been really helpful in helping me establish my personal brand. I know LinkedIn is another great professional platform to do this and I really need to get in the habit of dedicating some time to establish a stronger presence on the platform and engaging with others to help build relationships. One thing I do need to do for both platforms is to add a professional photo, I think this is a very important aspect for both platforms and need to get around to doing this soon!
I think when it comes to teaching kids how to interact on social media it is very important to have talks about protecting their identity and only allowing them to connect with people they know in person. I definitely think this should be incorporated into a child’s curriculum at a young age. More and more schools are handing out iPads to students and if they are going to do this, they need to educate the next generation on the benefits and risks of social media.
Hi Alyssa,
ReplyDeleteIn agreeance with those above, I too think you have a good balance between using social media for business and personal reasons. Keeping Facebook more private and Twitter public seems appropriate for your line of work. It looks like we both touched on youth and the importance of educating them about social media, and also the importance of understanding the security settings.
It seems like people our age have had Facebook for many years. I think I’m going on 9 years on Facebook and I have had different levels of precautionary measures throughout the years in terms of accepting friend requests. In high school and college I was more open to accepting friend requests from people I don’t know (or just recognize and therefore I thought I knew them) whereas now I am more thorough about who I accept. What are your thoughts on going through followers and friends every so often and getting rid of people you don’t know (either at all, or anymore) ?
Danielle
Hi Danielle,
DeleteI think it's safe to say that I know almost everyone I am friends with on Facebook and that follows me on Instagram (other than some people I had added in the class and it seems like I know them already). I do think for people like us that have been on social media for so long, it's important to go through and monitor settings and filter posts, photos, and friends to ensure everything is appropriate. I would certainly delete someone off my Faacebookif I realized I didn't know them as I feel most comfortable sharing family photos on the platform, which I really only want to share with friends and family.
Hi Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree with you, separating personal and professional life on different platforms I really think is the key to creating your personal brand. Hyder (2014) suggests auditing to your own social media presence. You might want to ask yourself: are you sharing too much information? , are you sharing enough?, is the content you are sharing appropriate for the platform and audience?. By evaluating your own social media presence it will help cultivate a strong personal brand.
Hi Alyssa,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your post. Although according to Morrison (2016) I am more identified as a "cautious contributor", I feel very identified with your use of social media . I totally agree with you that it is very important to keep it separate what belongs to work with personal information, even when, in my case, I prefer to keep some sort of transparency, because of the type of work I do, which is non-profit.
My mom is not so interested as yours when it comes to social media, and for a while she preferred to stay away from it, until she discovered YouTube as a huge repository of media and media she grew up with. There is a strong sense of connection with social media and that is a factor I would like to be able to capitalize and use, in the future, as well.
Thanks for your post!
Carlos