Social Media

What is social media? The term social media refers to websites that allow people to connect with others through comments, likes and other forms of digital interactions.  There are very many different types of social media that exist. For example there is Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Tumblr, and many others. Creating an account for one or more of these sites allows someone the chance to look at pictures, talk with their friends through instant messaging, and like the pages of their favorite celebrities or TV shows/movies. For example, if you really like the show Spongebob Squarepants on Nickelodeon then with social media you can watch previews for new episodes, read about the characters, and connect with other people who like the show as well.
The process to sign up for these sites is fairly easy. The information required includes:
·         Full Name
·         Birthday
·         Email
·         Password
·         (Username)
While this information is easy to obtain, it is important that you keep this information private (especially your password).
Social media is entertaining, fun, and at times mysterious. The reason why social media is considered mysterious because the identity of people cannot always be secured. When creating a profile (your personal account) make sure that you only request and add people that you actually know in real life. Requesting and adding strangers is dangerous because you are providing information to someone that you are not sure if you can trust which can lead to negative effects such as cyberbullying and identity theft.
How do you protect yourself?Step 1: Choose your privacy settings wisely.
According to the survey I conducted online 71.43% of people declared their privacy settings as friends only with 19.64% declared their settings as friends of friends. These are the two safest settings to have your profile on. The level of privacy settings goes like this:
o   Private (Me only): Only you can view the content that you post. Nobody, not even friends will be able to view what you post.
o   Private (Friends only): Only your friends and yourself can see what you post. They will be able to view, comment, like, and share your content.
o   Private (Friends of Friends): Your content is open so that your friends and their friends can see what you post.
o   Public: Anyone can see what you post even if they are not your friends.
This setting is not safe. There is really no need for the entire world to see what you post.In a previous discussion about social media, I created a video that can be viewed here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InzQKsBRdj8  This video provides a brief history about social media and personal interviews from social media users themselves. As you can see from the graphs and answers shared in the video, it is easy to tell how much of an influence social media has on our lives. Social media allows people to connect with people that they otherwise would not have been able to. It is because of social media that I am still able to communicate with long distance friends and high school class mates.Social media is a wonderful tool that can be used in a variety of ways.  Regardless of how you use it, just make sure that you are being safe and responsible.