The Risks Of Social Networking

Though it is rightly said that social networking websites have the power to create a different tomorrow, one must also be aware that this power can sometimes also be responsible for negative effects on the society. With a view to have everything as transparent as it can be, social networking websites sometimes urge a user to disclose more information than that should be given by him/her on such a public platform. As social networking websites do not have any methods in place to identify that the person who is creating an account is really that person or not, it leads to many undesirable situations. There have been many cases of identity theft on social networking websites because a mischievous person was able to get information from the real account and used that information to create another account with some added false or obscene information.

Social networking websites encourage people to give complete information about themselves but it is not mandatory to do so. This can often result in situations where an honest person provides a complete detail about himself but a dishonest person can register without any details with the sole purpose of carrying out mischief. Facilities like these pose a serious threat to the personal information of an individual and can even lead to dangerous consequences. Imagine what would happen if a dishonest person registers by making a fake profile of another user and indulges in criminal activities like terrorism. Obviously, the innocent person will be held under questioning and this can result in serious mental strain for someone who has done nothing more than using a social networking website.

Now the obvious question that arises is, how should you protect yourself from such risks of social networking? Given below are some guidelines that would help you in spending a safer life with social networking websites:

• While registering on a social networking website, read the disclaimer or privacy policy carefully. The private information you provide should not be provided to any other user or vendor under any circumstances.
• Many social networking websites check the user browsing activities to see if he/she is participating in any illegal activities or not. Register in these websites to stay safe from data as well as identity theft.
• While creating a profile or while chatting with a person, never disclose information related to your residential address and contact.
• Be careful while posting your photographs and pictures on a social networking website. These pictures can pose a serious risk to your identity. If you have to show pictures to your friends, mark your pictures as private or ‘show only to friends’ so that only the people who are your friends are able to see your pictures.
• It is never a good idea to meet a person you have met on the internet at a lonely place. Always choose a place that is frequented by the public like a fast food restaurant.
• While chatting, if you feel that the conversation is starting to turn into a disagreement and the other person starts to behave fanatically, quit the discussion immediately or deviate from the topic.

Social networking websites are a cool and a fun place to be but only if some basic steps to secure the privacy of an individual are followed.