A Guide to Internet Safety and Social Media Sites

A guide to Internet safety and social media sites is hotly debated on many forums and blogs. Abductions of teens and even children have been linked to several social media sites and it is not surprising for parents to worry and for authorities to time and again warn to take precautions when permitting children or teens to access the internet.




A guide to Internet safety and social media sites begins with safekeeping information such as telephone and cell phone numbers, as well as a street address. If a first and last name is part of the profile, do not divulge the name of the city where you reside but instead refer to it by identifying the greater area surrounding it. Thus, if you are living in Cerritos, California and are putting down your first and last name, refer to yourself as living in the greater Los Angeles area.




Additionally, keep your information safe on social media sites by not posting objectionable photos of yourself or writing actionable bits and pieces of blogging. Name calling and slurs are huge liabilities and will also get you some unwanted attention of those who might threaten your personal safety because of your writing.




Any person at any age can become a target for identity theft or the potential victim of an online predator. Because of this reality one must always be cautious of the information and personal details that they share with others online.




You should always protect important personal information such as birth certificate details, banking or social security numbers. Be wary to give out your work, school or home address.

These pieces of information can be used to steal an identity or to target a person's location for harm or abduction. Though we often think that these events can not happen to us it is all to easy to fall victim no matter who you are, your age, race, sex or other details.




Online safety and social media sites is somewhat at odds with one another since the latter requires a certain amount of personal revelations while the former dictates that the individual play their card close to the vest. How can you have a vibrant online presence and find hundreds of friends, but at the same time not divulge too much of yourself?