Safety Net's Cybersecurity Course

Welcome to Chapter 4 of the Safety Net’s Cyber Security course! In this chapter, we will focus on social media safety and the responsible use of online platforms. Social media plays a significant role in our lives, however, it's essential to understand the potential risks and challenges that come with it. By learning how to navigate social media safely, we can protect ourselves from cyberbullying, safeguard our privacy, and maintain a positive online experience. 

 

Let’s start off with understanding the risks and consequences of oversharing. Oversharing personal information on social media can have serious consequences. When you share too much, it could lead to unfortunate events including identity theft, stalking, and potential harm to personal and professional relationships mentioned in the previous chapter. 

 

To deter these threats, using the privacy settings of social media platforms to our advantage is essential for maintaining control over our online presence. Everyone has different preferences, so doing some exploring yourself by adjusting visibility settings, restricting access to posts and personal information, and managing friend lists. Understanding and utilizing these settings will help us control who can see our content and ensure that it is shared only with the intended audience.

 

When exploring these settings do keep in mind that posting photos of yourself and exposing your personal information on a public account means that ANYONE on the internet can see it. 

 

We’d suggest changing your account to a private account but personalize these settings to the degree of privacy you’d like.