I have been speaking to some teenagers in the last few days regarding how they have to be very careful on Social Media. Have you been doing the same? If not, it’s never too early or too late to start speaking to your teenagers as well.

Young people will always explore. They are naturally adventurous at this stage of their lives, which is not a bad thing. However, they require a lot of guidance on a lot of things, especially on their activities on Social Media.

There are loads of platforms where teenagers get to meet and chat with different people from all over the globe. As great a tool to express creativity and stay in touch with friends and family these platforms can be, they can also be destructive. This is why every young person should be educated about its appropriate use, to avoid any unnecessary negative events. I have heard stories of people who have lost their lives due to the misuse of these platforms, and some have had untold traumatic experiences.

Here are a few safe use facts:

You really do not have to add people you do not know as friends or contacts on Social Media – I know this sounds anti-social, but why would you want to expose yourself and your content to people you do not know personally?
Remember there are people on Social Media who are not who they claim to be – They are only there as predators, looking for who to exploit. These people set up accounts in different names, using different profile pictures to deceive people or impress people, as the case may be.
Be discreet when posting content – You really do not have to post content that are too personal on Social Media. Avoid posting home addresses, telephone numbers or any other form of contact details linked to you; publicly. Beware of posers who are really not who they claim to be, snooping around on Social Media.
Always Use your platforms responsibly – Avoid posting nude pictures of yourself or other people, passing comments that are not complimentary to others, and comments that can spoil their reputation. Avoid being rude on Social Media.

Remember that once your message is out, even when you suddenly realise your mistake and you go back to delete, chances are that someone somewhere, could have saved that message or image, simply to implicate you. Someone else could also have reposted or shared your supposedly deleted message. Even when you post as anonymous, someone out there can trace these posts back to you, so beware and be careful.

Please share this with as many young people as you have access to.

Source: http://www.connaissancenow.com/4-safe-use-facts-of-social-media/

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