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When someone mentions social media, a billion things can come to mind. Social media is everything from MSN messenger to FaceBook. It is a way to keep in touch with friends or communicate with people around the world. Much of what is on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter are accessible to practically everyone and anyone. Social media can be either a negative or positive aspect to one's life, it all depends on how you use it and what you use it for.
Personally, I am a member to various social media sites. I am a member because it lets me communicate with family who are millions of miles away and keep up to date with my friends. Facebook, in particular, is the site I use to stay in touch with people that I know but don't really hang out with on a daily basis.
I check my privacy setting often as I know how dangerous these sites can be at times. I block the public from my Facebook account but I leave my twitter account accessible to the world. Facebook is more of a private site where people post photos. Whereas Twitter people post things that catch their eye, or their feelings. Though I leave my twitter open to the public, I often watch what I say. The location services are locked off so no one can know my location, and I never tweet about places that I will be or essentially where I live.
On Facebook, I let people find me in a search but other than my profile picture, they cannot see anything until I accept their friend request. I know that these social media sites can be dangerous, but I believe it is only dangerous if YOU make it dangerous. Users should watch what they post because there are people who scan sites to look for victims. Sites like Facebook and Twitter were meant for communication purposes, not "post my location" or "post where I live".
It is so important to be responsible when on or posting on social media sites. Being responsible ultimately means never to post revealing photos or certain areas of yourself, your location, or bullying. Social media sites are accessible to everyone so it should be a user friendly environment.
You make an interesting point about privacy settings on social media sites. Both FaceBook and Twitter were made for communication, so people could stay in touch, and share information with others that they do not see relatively often. It is always important to check your privacy settings so people you do not know are not aware of what you are doing, and more private information. I completely agree about how only YOU can make social media dangerous. It is all about what YOU post, and what YOU do online that determines whether or not you are being a safe social media user. Enjoyed reading about your opinion; check out my blog for a different perspective.
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