Facebook is everyone’s window into the lives of friends and relatives. Its how we stay in touch without really talking. But Facebook can also be a very dangerous place if you don’t know what you are doing. I like to explain to black people that social media sites like Facebook don’t kill you. They let you kill yourself. So lets get into what you should not be doing on Facebook.
1. Don’t “friend” the friend of a friend – Seriously; who is this person? You simply do not know. And why are they “friending” you anyway? For women this is a very dangerous thing to do. Never ever friend someone you do not already have a relationship with. Do some homework to see who they are. Get some feedback from people who know them. Allowing someone on your Facebook friends list allows them access to your life and everything you do and where you go. Whatever you put on Facebook they now know. But you don’t know them do you? This applies to men as well.
2. Don’t tell everybody your business– Private conversations should be treated as such. Don’t discuss health issues, relationship issues, money issues or family issues on your wall. You can send private messages and email or better yet, talk to that close friend face to face. There are way too many horror stories about people saying to much on Facebook.
3. Employers study Facebook- Got a job? Looking for a job? Whatever you say and do on Facebook can be seen by others. Employers can and do ask for passwords to review your Facebook page. What will they see? What if your boss see’s your page? It happens more than you realize.
4. Don’t share company information– Is your company about to merge with another? Are they changing strategies or introducing new product or services? What happens in company meetings should stay in companies meetings. Sharing confidential information from your job will no doubt get you fired. It may even kill your career if potential employers discover you talk too much.
5. Keep your kids off your Facebook wall – Pedophiles love social media. Imagine if strangers know your child by name and what school they go to. They know your name so that can use it to lure your child into a dangerous situations. Be extremely careful about posting pictures and information about your children on your wall. And be damn sure you know whats happening if your child has their own Facebook page.
6. Don’t share your address, your phone number or email.- Again, keep the vital information to yourself. Especially if you are a single female. Men, women can stalk you too. But if too much information is out there you may come home to find a lot of stuff missing. Don’t open yourself up to unwanted communication. Sharing your phone number or email lets anyone call or send you messages. Even that creepy “friend” of a friend. Another thing to remember is that if you share one a smart person can discover the others.
7. Don’t talk about money- Are you making good money? Need to make more money? Hate your bank? Don’t talk about who you bank with or what credit cards you have or who financed your car or house. Whatever it is about money keep it to yourself. There are a lot of crooks and scammers out there and they know how to get at you if they know you have money or need money. No they are not your friend on Facebook but they maybe a friend of a friend. Get it.
8. Ask before posting images and tagging people- A husband tracked down his wife and murdered her after seeing her picture on a Facebook page. No one knew she was trying to escape an abusive husband. Plan carefully what images you post and let those in the pictures know what you are doing.
The best advice is to keep as much of your private life as private as you can. Facebook owns everything you post and say on their website. Social media is a great tool but it is also how people monitor your life and collect information. Keep your social circle small online. Don’t collect friends to see how many you can accumulate. Ignore friend requests from people you don’t and be picky about the ones you do know.
Social media does not kill you. It lets you kill yourself.