Don't Put All Your Social Media Eggs In One Basket

We’re all social animals and bound to the chains of social media , but, is this healthy? I would be called a hypocrite if I said I don’t lo...

We’re all social animals and bound to the chains of social media, but, is this healthy? I would be called a hypocrite if I said I don’t love posting pictures on "Facebook" or "Instagram", or thought about jumping on to the latest and most viral "TikTok" trends; some of the more famous ones being the “#DontRushChallenge” or the “#Renegade” dance.

We can’t blame the whole world for wanting to follow trends, especially during the days of the COVID-19 pandemic. People are home, bored, and more likely to make some regrettable decisions of posting their entire lives online.

Posting some trip pictures, a dish you created, or a dance video, aren’t deemed as wrongful acts or a crime, but, it’s how you post it, where you post it and whether or not you’ve taken any security measures or precautions while carrying these activities out.

Don't Put All Your Social Media Eggs In One Social Media Basket

If you’re wondering what security measures would you even need to stay online? This article is for you. There’s so much that could go wrong online, in a matter of seconds, in-fact in a blink of an eye!

What could go wrong? It’s only one picture…

It’s only one picture…but with a million tags to it. Hashtags are important for gaining a little audience on social platforms, but not all of them can lead the right kind of audience to you. There are circumstances where certain tags are banned due to wrongful usage, but there are always ways to get around these tags, to reach a post you desire.

Secondly, by posting a picture, you might also add additional information like your location, the street name, the café you’re currently at, the people you’re with etc. This is fine only if you take proper cybersecurity measures while posting. You need to be aware of the fact that if you post pictures publically, without privatizing it to only a few close friends, family or acquaintances, there are a whole bucket of strangers who’re also keeping track of everything you put online. They can easily track your whereabouts through your posts.

Oversharing personal information is a huge red light when it comes to cyber threats. They say that one should never post their entire personal lives online, and that’s absolutely true! Social media isn’t a playground for your personal affairs, it’ll only give cyber-attackers/hackers the opportunity to get to know more about your life, and use it to full advantage.

But…

I did it for the Gram! TikTok will get me fame!

Did you know that there are hundreds or thousands of Instagram, Facebook and Twitter accounts that get hacked in a year? So, keeping that in light, do you think it’s wise to put all of your personal life in an online platform?

It’s no secret that most teenagers are often victims of such events, and shared danced videos are the least of their problems. It’s a fact that the youth of our past and present generation have shared at least 2 or 3 personal pictures among their friend circles or strangers; with that number being the least. When your account gets hacked, all that you’ve posted online (publicly or privately) are at great risk!

Parents! If your kid is younger than 18, you have to be aware of what they get into when accessing social platforms. Yes, teenagers need their space, and need the freedom and trust to live freely among peer groups, but that’s not going to help them in the long run. Always make sure you give a thorough sweep of anything they put online, and the kinds of groups they’re visiting.

TikTok, Zoom, and Houseparty are also apps to watch out for!

Let’s take TikTok for example. It was created in 2016 for the people of China, and soon launched worldwide in 2017. It’s only been around for a couple of years and has already managed to grasp around 800 million users worldwide!!! But, did you also know that China is one of the many countries in the world that have the largest online surveillances?

Whatever you do on TikTok or a Chinese created app, China knows about it. They have hold of all your accounts, your information and whereabouts. There are so many apps in the industry that have millions of active users on a daily basis, but fail to see the dangers that apps like these can cause; especially since all your information is online.

The reality of it all!

There’s a saying, “Never put all your eggs in one basket”. This even applies to comments on certain posts. Let’s say you’ve gotten yourself into an online tiff on Facebook, and feel the urge to speak your mind in an agitated state. You should be aware that just because you feel a little safe behind your computer or phone screen, your darkest fears can be brought to real life! If you’re a person that has posted a lot of personal information online, like where you live or your favorite hotspots, you do know that information like this is all it takes to track you down?

However, if you’re going to post…

Okay, so, it’s clear that a post alone nor the government can handle how an adult or teen uses the internet or social apps; unless they ban them altogether, but there are ways that you can moderately handle this situation on your own. Always remember that if you’re about to post something online, there are always consequences. So, to protect your online identity, and keep it from being the center of future cyber-threats, here are a few points you can look into:

• Firstly, keep your accounts private. In that way only you can choose who can follow you or add you. This makes sure that no one that you would consider a threat can grab off information, pictures or videos from your profile without your consent.

• Limit the amount of information you put online. Get one thing straight, even information on rants about a fight you had with a spouse or a friend can be used against you. No one online is going to actively care for you but yourself. They may come up with giving you tips and tricks on your situation, but that will not help you in the long run.

• Make sure you don’t have one password for all accounts and definitely don’t make passwords that have your name, birthday or of your favorite aunt. The chances of hacking are very high when you use personal information as a password. And, since you’ve put your entire life online, it won’t be very difficult to guess your codes.

• Speaking of passwords, always use two-factor authentication. This is just in case someone is attempting to hack into your profile. This will send a code to your phone number, asking whether it was you that was asking for a password change or whether it was you who logged in from another device. They’ll also send a code to your phone number just in case you actually are trying to change your passwords.

• Kids/teens usually post just about anything for the likes. It’s different when you’re an adult, but the consequences when you’re a kid can be fatal. Make sure you don’t post anything too revealing or sexually explicit. This will most definitely attract the wrong crowd. And if ever your accounts do get hacked, let’s just say that the pictures or personal information you’ve posted online, will be used as leverage or blackmail.

• As mentioned above, if you’re in the middle of an online war in the comment section, cool your mind, take a breather, think and reply. Never say anything out of the ordinary; especially to a stranger.

Conclusion

The online social world can be very exciting, but that’s all it is; “exciting”. No one said it’ll be safe. You have to take active responsibility of everything you do and post online. Social media is a temporary playground, but it most certainly can’t be erased. To avoid being a victim of cyber or in-person attacks, always consider keeping a low profile, strengthen your security measures, and never over share!