I must admit Social Networking Security is one of my «fetish» themes, speaking in digital community management level. Why? You’ll wonder. Well, there exist many rumours, canards and legends about the insecure can be the digital world. Are you one of those who believes it or, are you totally against?
The Social Networking Security is a complicated theme.
Many of those rumours about Social Networking security, or «insecurity», are totally true, unfortunately. The digital world is so extensive and complex that escapes the understanding of many users.
What should I do to control my Social Networking Security?
This question, apart from others I will abord in this post, is one of the most recurrent nowadays, it does not mean that everyone wonders about their Social Networking security each time, but it is a thought that flies in our mind indirectly.
When exposes you to be known by people from beyond your circle of close contacts, you become susceptible to be the objective of certain actings of unknown people. Now I’m sure your mind is working hard imagining a lot of situations very extremes, but sometimes, the most insignificant details can wreck your online reputation, and yes, this is a concept that also covers Social Networking security, and you should control.
Well, to begin I’m going to borrow, as an analogy, a contact circle diagram I saw not long ago in «The Big Bang Theory» sitcom, done by the great Sheldon Cooper, that helps you to create a more graphical image of this theme:
If we divide our contacts into different circles just like Sheldon does, we’ll see we have a first dimension of very close contacts, the members of our family nucleus (you, your sentimental partner, your son/s or daughter/s, your dog, your cat… I don’t know, that depends on each), in the next circle we have the direct friends and close familiars (your best friends, parents…), after would be more friends and familiars, then coworkers… and so on down to the personal or professional contacts you keep a ‘distance relationship’ (those that you see very occasionally). Well, till here everything clear, right? Each of them is people you know and, supposedly, are projecting security and trust to you.
In that circles, sure that most people who appear, are your contacts in Social Networks as well. The interesting thing begins with the members of the outside of the last circle, the unknown people. Just in the moment that these unknown people have access to your digital «life», your reputation and Social Networks security could be affected.
And again I ask you, what can you do to control your Social Networking Security?
It depends on the Social Networks we talk about, you’ll have several options more or less «automated» to control, as a minimum, your profile privacy and publications.
Here I show you, in graphic and summary form, some examples (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter):
[one_third]
See the Facebook’s privacy policy[/one_third][one_third]
Keep an eye on Twitter’s privacy policy[/one_third][one_third_last]
Check the Instagram’s privacy help center[/one_third_last]
[inbound_button font_size=»18″ color=»#5dbcd2″ text_color=»#ffffff» icon=»arrow-right» url=»http://www.ainhoacarballido.com/marketing/#1505230255469-a632bb42-dd6a» width=»80%» target=»_blank»] Solve now your «problems» in Social Networks[/inbound_button]
And I take the opportunity to launch the next question: Can I be anonymous in Social Networks?
I think this question has no sense. I mean, Social Networks are a place to socialize with a contacts net, it seems pretty obvious but there are many people that after of creating a profile decides nobody, and I repeat it to give more depth to the subject, NOBODY, can see anything they publish. So, what sense has this? If you don’t want to share content, why do you want to have an internet presence?
Maybe I am crazy but… Don’t you think it’s acting like a «voyeur»? I’m going to put an example: «I hate to dance salsa but, I go to nightclubs where only dance salsa and I’m sitting at the bar having a drink». I don’t understand, seriously. Another example, maybe a graphical one: «I’m so ashamed when I have to be naked in front of other people but, even if I stay dressed «from head to toe», I will go to the nudist beach», really?!
To make it short, if you want to be anonymous, the Social Networks are not the best place for you.
And finally, I’m going to approach other topic related to Social Networking Security, the digital bullying.
What to do when someone harasses you through Social Networks?
I know that it seems from a movie or from some television show like «Big Fish» but, there really are harasses cases by Social Networks that has arrived to ruin many people lives.
Without doubt, if you are in front of a digital bullying case, you have to act by the same way of a «physical» harassment (in this case I’m talking about the physical dimension and no virtual one, I mean the world we can see, hear, smell and touch daily, not to the digital one). You should come to the authorities and report that harassment, anyone who endangers your safety or the others safety may go unpunished.
Both Social Networking Security and online Reputation, are very extensive topics to write a lot of posts, and so I’ll continue writing about it, approaching concepts more susceptibles like the minimum age to use social networks, the privacy of our «personal» content, the time user expands in Social Networks, the risks of Social Networks to young people, the risk situations to companies and marks in Social Media, the action plan in front of an online reputation crisis, and much more.
