Social networking is becoming very popular, especially with teens. There are however millions that use social networking and they are all different ages. There are some social networking safety risks and you should know how to avoid them. With more and more people joining social networking sites it is more and more important to be safe and avoid any risks.
There are four main social networking safety risks and you can learn how to avoid them. The first safety risk is viruses. The second is predators. The third safety risk is divulging too much information. The fourth social networking safety risk is getting too friendly.
The first social networking safety risk is viruses, how can you avoid them? You can use caution when opening emails. You will need to have the latest version of your firewall and browser installed to help avoid viruses. Having the latest version of your firewall and browser will keep you ahead of any hackers that want to steel your identity.
When you get an email that is not from a known friend, scan the email for viruses and spyware before you open it. This is especially true with attachments. You will also want to avoid this safety risk by scanning all emails and attachments you get. You may know the sender, but you won’t know if the email they sent has an encrypted virus. Viruses are a social networking safety risk that can be avoided by using caution when opening emails.
The second social networking safety risk is predators. While it may be difficult to avoid these there are ways how you can avoid them. You can start by checking the privacy setting you have on the social networks. You will want to have them as high as you can. Make it so that only your friends can get to your postings. You will also want to keep your personal information off the social networking. You should not give out personal information like street addresses and phone numbers. This will help to avoid predators.
The third social networking safety risk is divulging too much information and how to avoid this safety risk is to limit what you post on social networks. When you post information on the Internet it stays there forever. You will want to post only what you would want your mother to see, whether she’s alive or not. You will also want to be careful when you are writing about your friends, get their permission first when writing about them or posting a picture.
When you are writing about yourself or your friends, a social networking safety risk is divulging details about your schedules and routines. This is too much information and you should avoid it. Also avoid giving your full name. Don’t let your username tell too much about you either. Getting to know people is fun and you can avoid the safety risks of social networking by not giving your life’s history.
The fourth social networking safety risk is getting too friendly with others who are on the social networks. There are strangers that want to become your friend and you will need to avoid the ones who might be a risk. Check out their profile first and see who they say they are. When they send email scan the email first too see if they pose a risk that way. And even if they look harmless and okay, don’t give them any personal information and be very cautious with what you do tell them.
There are some fun social networking sites that you can join. For the most part these site and those that use them are no threat to you or your household. There are some social networking safety risks and how you can avoid them is to be cautious in what you post and not give any personal information. You can make new friends, just use good judgment and scan for viruses to avoid the social networking safety risks.