How to Be Social Media Smart (and Safe!)
By Anna Lipscomb ‘19
Social media is an integral part of our everyday lives. Whenever we go out, we snap photos and then send them to our friends on Snapchat or upload them to our Instagram accounts. However, with all of this quick-and-easy sharing, it is extremely easy to fall into oversharing.
What is oversharing, and why should we care?
Oversharing, to put it simply, happens when someone reveals too much about their personal life. Since social media is so public, the information we share with others may put us or others in danger.
Implications on your future
According to Time, 40% of admissions officers said they have looked at applicant's’ social media pages to learn more about them. Many job employers also judge your social media presence during the hiring process. Therefore, it would be beneficial to your future if you clean up your social media pages from time to time to make sure its a positive, professional reflection of you.
You don’t know who might see it
I’m sure you’ve heard your parents or teachers tell you the Internet is forever. Once you put something out on the Internet or on your social media account, it becomes a part of your digital footprint. Furthermore, people who follow you (or people in general, depending on your privacy settings) will see it. Even if you delete a post right away, it’s still pretty likely that someone has already seen it.
Makes you vulnerable to fraud or crime
While in Paris earlier this month, Kim Kardashian was robbed of her ring and other jewelry that amounted to millions of dollars after she had posted flashy Instagram photos of it to her 85.5 million Instagram followers. Police blame her social media presence as a possible reason.
The lesson that we can learn from this is that there are risks associated with your posts that may draw the attention of potential thieves.
Likewise, you also want to be careful of what you are sharing on social media. Sometimes seemingly innocent information (like the name of your first pet) could be giving personal information that criminals can use for fraud or identity theft.
What you can do:
1. Go through your privacy settings on your social media pages. It seems like some social media sites (I’m looking at you, Facebook) are constantly making new changes to the privacy and security settings. It’s worth reviewing them from time to time to make sure that you know who you’re sharing information with.
2. Consider what you are posting before you post it. We spend so much time picking the perfect filter or coming up with a witty caption. But before all of that, we should think about what we are posting, who might see it, and if there could be any consequences associated with posting it.
3. Make sure you are in the right mind to post. Posting on social media when you are not in full control of yourself or your emotions can be risky because you aren’t necessarily thinking clearly. Think about all of those drunk calls/texts that appear in the movies or go viral on social media. It can be hard to manage the repercussions of your post once it’s out there on social media. Wait until you are fully aware of what you are doing before you decide to post.
4. Be careful of sharing your location. I know, I know - it’s basically an unwritten rule that when you go on vacation, you have to post pictures 24/7 on your social media accounts for everyone to see what you’re doing/what you’re eating/who you’re meeting. However, this can also put you at risk - if you’re sharing to the world that you’re away from home, well, it indicates that no one is home - potentially putting you at the risk of being robbed. Think before you let everyone know where you are (or where you are not).
5. Think about how your post may affect people. Yes, I know that your social media page is yours to post whatever you’d like. However, there is a difference between your freedom of speech and hurting others with your posts. Could the content of your post hurt someone or damage their reputation? Just think about it.
6. Have Renter’s Insurance. This tip may seem extremely random, but you’ll be glad you have it if you ever have to deal with a situation like robbery.
7. Don’t be too flashy. So you just got a new car or bae gave you diamond earrings or you finally bought the new iPhone. It’s perfectly normal and fine if you want to tell/show others. But please make sure you know who you are sharing this with. It’s fun to show all of your friends something that has made you happy, but you should also be careful when announcing you have something of value.
Resources:
Department of Public Safety (DPS)
USC Engemann Health Center: Counseling Services
Want more from Trojans 360?
Visit Trojans 360 on Facebook & Twitter to stay up to date with more student content!
You can also Ask A Trojan an anonymous question, and we’ll try to answer it in a future post!
Trojans 360 is USC’s official student-run blog. Content created by students, for students.
