At the ripe old age of 39, I have become a "Facebook Fogey." (That’s the term for anyone over 30 who joins the popular social networking site.) It’s probably accurate, because I don’t have a personalized ring tone on my phone, and I still type with one finger to send a text message.
I resisted for as long as I could but finally gave in because my friends were raving about it. Of course, by the time I joined, half of my graduating classmates were members, as was my high school English teacher and even some of my friends’ parents.
Facebook and other social websites, such as MySpace and Twitter, have unarguably changed how people find and reconnect with each other. Never has it been so easy to track down long- lost college buddies and check your friends’ daily status reports. It’s enticing, and even self- indulgent, to be able to peek into your friends’ thoughts and daily routines. And if that isn’t enough to keep you interested, these sites offer games, forums and blogs to peruse.
But this social innovation has a dark side, as well. It takes a lot of time to check on your friends each day, and it is an astonishingly easy way to squander time. Even more concerning is the access it provides into your personal life. Although you can control who sees your files to varying degrees, there is still an opportunity for unknown poeple to uncover personal information, which can compromise your safety.
It’s easy to forget that there are 42 million users of Facebook, 100 million people on MySpace, and approximately 1 million on Twitter, with children under the age of 18 making up a substantial portion of those numbers. Even though some of the sites claim to provide a safe environment, thousands of sex offenders have registered profiles and have even contacted minors in several circumstances. To protect your safety on Facebook and other social websites, some basic common sense and knowledge of the sites is required.
@ Never add someone as your friend unless you have met them in person. Even if they say they go to your school, church, know a friend of yours, etc., that does not count as knowing them. If you have not physically seen them, then they may not exist.
@ Never give out your phone number online to someone you have not met in person. Phone numbers can be traced to owners and owners can be traced to addresses.
@ Meeting someone online is not really meeting them. They may not be telling the truth about who they really are.
@ Never post personal information about yourself on your Facebook WALL.
@ Check the privacy settings on your profile so that you are aware of what people can and cannot see about you.
@ Less worrisome, but still a concern, is that these social sites were not really designed as business tools. What will you do if your boss or important client asks to become a friend? You will have to choose to either ignore the request and risk offending them, or allow them more access to your personal life than they would normally have.
@ Scammers are also on these sites. If anyone, even a friend, asks you for money through your account, directly contact the person it came from.
@ Never give your password to anyone, not even your spouse or best friend.
@ Don’t post anything on your account that you would not want a potential employer or your mother to see, including photos and information.
Rhonda B.