When social media first started, no one had any idea what they were getting into. They happily posted all of their thoughts and feelings publicly, allowed themselves to be tagged in compromising photos, and even listed their personal home address and phone number.
Social media has become a place where people not only keep in touch with friends, but also read the latest news, play games, and use messenger as a free form of communication from country to country.
As people have become more aware of their exposed privacy and the realities of social media, however, users are starting to pull back on how much they share and don’t share. When it comes to putting yourself out there on social media, it’s best to keep your privacy pretty restricted. Here are some of the biggest reasons why.
You May Lose Friends
When you use Facebook and openly post your personal political and religious opinions as if they were fact, you can easily offend people. They say politics and friendship just don’t mix, and usually, it’s true. Expecting everyone that you get along with to see eye to eye with you on absolutely everything is unrealistic.
One person may read the news and interpret it one way, while you see it entirely different. Such is the way of life since all of us are individual and unique creatures. Therefore, save your opinions for your spouse or your best friends. There’s no need to announce your political beliefs from the tops of mountains, unless you like to debate, it’s best to stay low on the radar.
You May Affect Your Professional Life
When you are openly posting things about your personal life online, you may find that it starts to affect your office life. Part of having a professional demeanor means giving the impression that you are proper and calculated at all times.
If a client or coworker sees you beer bonging on easter with your cousins, they may feel less inclined to trust you professionally. This isn’t to say that you can’t still have fun in your private life. You may just want to consider putting the cameras away.
You May Put Yourself In Danger
Unfortunately with the magic of the world wide web, also comes with risks. There are some people out there who use it with bad intentions. Therefore if you post your personal information about your whereabouts, you could be putting you and your family at risk.
Always think twice before listing your personal information or tagging yourself in locations. Remember, anyone could be seeing it and knowing where to find you.
Also, you may want to check your privacy settings for ways that people could be tracking you without you even meaning it. For example, geo-tagging in photos, or opting for real-time geo-locating on apps like Snapchat or even dating apps which list a person’s last location and distance.