Who's watching?
Why you should be careful about your social media posts.
Social media is everywhere and according to Social Media News there are 17 million monthly active Facebook users in Australia, and 12 million of us who use Facebook every day. That’s a lot of Facebook posts that - unless you’ve bothered to update your privacy settings - are out there in the public domain for anyone to see.
Why is it important? Consider this:
1. Thieves love social media too. In fact a survey conducted in the UK by Adweek revealed that 78% of convicted burglars reported that they believed social media sites like Facebook and Twitter are useful tools for thieves targeting specific properties while 74% reported that Google Street View was playing a role in home thefts.
The study also noted that according to the thieves, a home robbery takes just over 10 minutes to complete, and that it generally only takes 2 minutes to break in to a house with no security.
It seems that burglars are analysing what’s going on and taking advantage of social media to access information about their intended victims – so maybe you should think twice before giving your would-be thief an open invitation to your place when you post those “I’m having a great time on holiday” messages.
If you absolutely can’t stop yourself from posting your holiday story while you’re away, you might want to think about investing in a little home security before you head off on your next trip. If you need a little financial help to make it happen, don’t forget to check out our flexible mini-loans to find out how easy it is to get some extra funds. Once a loan is approved, we can usually get a payment into your bank account within 24 hours so you can start shopping for you new security system straight away!
2. Your employer could be watching you too. So if you’ve called in sick and then post or tweet about the great day you’re having at the beach, don’t be surprised if you’re asked to join a “please explain” meeting at your next work day.
What you post online can have significant consequences in the future. It’s not uncommon these days for recruitment agencies and potential new employers to do a Google search on you so it’s a good idea to make sure that your posts always present you in a positive way.
3. Online bantering can be used against you - and could be considered as cyber-bullying or harassment. You might be best mates with your co-worker today but if you have a falling out with them, your previous posts that poked fun at them can be used as evidence of online provocation and an aggravated relationship.
It may seem impossible now, but workplace disputes – including accusations of wrongful dismissal – happen all the time and when they do, the person on the accusing end will look for any and all evidence they can find to demonstrate a caustic workplace.
It may seem impossible now, but workplace disputes – including accusations of wrongful dismissal – happen all the time and when they do, the person on the accusing end will look for any and all evidence they can find to demonstrate a caustic workplace.
The best way to protect yourself from people you don’t know viewing your posts is to limit your network. Social media privacy and security settings exist for a reason; so make sure you learn how to use those settings on all of your social media applications.
Think before you post – what you post online stays online so make sure you protect your reputation on social networks. Be careful about how much personal information you provide on social networking sites. The more information you post, the easier it may be for a hacker or someone else to use that information to steal your identity, access your data, or commit other crimes such as stalking.
Finally, remember that not all friends are created equal. While it might make you feel great to know that you have hundreds of friends in your social media network, use tools to manage the information you share with different groups of friends.