Careful with facebook

I know most teens are on facebook and to them it’s just the –how can I put this in teen lingo – the ish?

Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Facebook is fun but can be dangerous. Net photo.

I know most teens are on facebook and to them it’s just the –how can I put this in teen lingo – the ish? Well, that ish might just be the death of you if you do not watch yourself. There is no harm in having fun with everything technology has to offer but just watch out for who you have this fun with.Safety on this insanely wide used social network starts with who you know. This business of friending everyone who thinks you have a pretty profile picture is simply careless. I know it’s cool to have friends who outnumber Justin Beiber’s followers on Twitter but have you ever given thought to the outcome?Some people – and not just teenagers - think it’s a popularity contest! Have some sort of frame of reference for each person you accept. I mean are they friends of friends or did you go to a certain school together? Never post personal information on facebook like your phone number or address. If someone needs to get  hold of you, they are probably already close to you and therefore already know how to. You don’t have to describe your crib right down to gate number!Even when you are super excited about a new accessory or gadget, it is not wise to announce it to the rest of the world. Posting about this new wonder in your life might just attract thieves instead. Shoe ot your friends in person and that way, you can also see the excitement in their faces or the envy eating away at them!If you tell the social network that you’re going away somewhere for a week, you’re basically telling everyone that some of your things will be unprotected – like the stuff you have at school. You do not have to sit there and live in fear but you also can’t afford to live that recklessly either. Yes – it’s reckless to give everyone who cares to know information about your life that way. It’s even more reckless to assume everyone is as sane as you and therefore no ‘real’ danger can find you. If there is something even slightly suspicious about someone you accepted in the heat of ‘getting popular’ do not hesitate to unfriend or block them. Trust me, the thrill of blocking freaks is so much more fun than friending them!