The use of social media has become ubiquitous. Nearly 5 billion people around the world use social media, and the number is growing every day. For many, social media offers a valuable way to connect with others. Unfortunately, for many, social media also offers a way to prey on the vulnerable, whether for theft or other criminal purposes.

There are many things you can do to keep yourself and your family safe while enjoying social media. The Morrisville Police Department has offered these social networking safety tips:

Change your privacy and security settings. These exist for a reason! Learn about and use the privacy and security settings on each of your social networks. They can help you control who sees what you post and manage your online experience in a positive way.

Remember: Once posted, always posted. Protect your reputation on social networks. What you post online stays online. Think twice before posting pictures you wouldn’t want your parents or future employers to see. Recent research found that 70 percent of job recruiters rejected candidates based on information they found online. Recent research also found that recruiters respond to a strong, positive personal brand online. So do show off your smarts, thoughtfulness, and mastery of the environment.    

Keep personal information personal. Be cautious about how much personal information you provide on social networking sites. The more information you post, the easier it may be for someone to steal your identity, access your data, or commit other crimes, such as stalking.    

Protect your hardware. Safety and security start with protecting computers. Install a security suite (antivirus, antispyware, and firewall software) that is set to update automatically. Keep your operating system, Web browser, and other software current, and back up computer files on a regular basis.    

Know and manage your friends. Social networks can be used for a variety of purposes. Some of the fun of using social media is creating a large pool of friends from many aspects of your life. But that doesn’t mean that all friends are created equal. Use tools to manage the information you share with friends in different groups or even create multiple online accounts for different groups of friends. If you’re trying to create a public persona as a blogger or expert, create an open profile or a “fan” page that encourages broad participation but limits personal information. Use your personal profile to share information with your real friends (the ones you know and trust).    

Be honest if you’re uncomfortable. If a friend posts something about you that makes you uncomfortable or that you think is inappropriate, let them know. Likewise, stay open-minded if a friend approaches you because something you’ve posted makes him or her uncomfortable. People have different tolerances for how much the world knows about them, so respect those differences. Post only about others as you would have them post about you.    

Know what action to take. If someone is harassing or threatening you, remove them from your friends list, block them, and report them to the site administrator.    

Use strong passwords. Make sure that your password is long, complex, and combines letters, numbers, and symbols. Ideally, you should use a different password for every online account you have. If you need to write down your password to remember it, store it somewhere away from your computer.    

Be cautious about messages you receive on social networking sites that contain links. Even links that look they come from friends can sometimes contain malware or be part of a phishing attack (attempts to collect personal information). If you are suspicious, don’t click. Contact your friend or the business directly to verify the validity of the message.

Internet Safety For Children

Children are even more vulnerable when they are on social media or surfing online. The federal government has provided some tools online to educate kids and parents about staying safe online. The Federal Trade Commission offers this site about kids and socializing online. The FBI also offers this brochure on Safe Online Surfing (S.O.S.) for children. The FBI-SOS program is a nationwide initiative designed to educate children about the dangers they face on the Internet and to help prevent crimes against children.