Most people (including myself) with internet access at home, school or work maintain a profile on MySpace, Twitter or FaceBook. On these popular social networking sites we post pictures, write personal bios, upload videos, exchange emails and keep friends “in the know” by changing our status messages. The amount of features that we have at our disposal is almost overwhelming, but above them all, the “block” and “reject” features are the most useful whenever we receive surprised friend requests from strangers, former friends and co-workers.
The fact that a lot of our personal information is shared on social networking sites has transformed it into the encyclopedia of personal lives. Employers and co-workers have recognized its resourcefulness and are using the social tool as a way to obtain information about workers activities outside their working environment. In addition, law enforcement personnel now view social networking sites as a way to isolate gang members, crack down on sex offenders, and collect incriminating information about criminals.
The shared belief that our online identity is somehow secured creates a false sense of immunity which increases our changes of been victims of identity theft and the topic of discussion if most of what we say and do online becomes public. It is for those reasons and a host of others why it is important that we censor our personal information online and be mindful of who we invite or accept as a friend. While there is nothing wrong with having a lot of friends on your friends list to share your online life with. Having 1000+ friends on your friends list if you are not promoting an album, website, product or service makes no sense in my book. Realistically speaking, do you personally know anywhere close to 1000 people? I’m quite sure that most of us don’t know 1/3 of the people we give permission to view our personal information online.
In conclusion, social networking sites have helped people to express themselves and stay connected with friends and family members a world away. However, the fact that it has grown to become the encyclopedia of personal lives makes it the number one destination for employers, friend-enemies, co-workers and law enforcement personnel seeking potentially incriminating information. For that reason, it is important to set your profile private at all times, be selective of who you invite/accept as a friend and censor all personal information because online; not all friends are created equal.
Tags: cyber crime, facebook, friends request, myspace, social networking, twitter