As technology flourishes and becomes essential to our everyday life, it is hard to differentiate what is appropriate to put on social media sites such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and dozens more. We all know that jobs are reviewing these sites before hiring, but did you know that ill-advised Facebook postings increasingly can get your insurance cancelled or cause you to pay dramatically more for everything from auto to life insurance coverage. Debt collectors are also throwing away their phone books in favor of searching social networking sites to find people. Savvy Student understands the fear this may instill in most of us, (Pachanga pictures are not always the best representation of our character) so we want you to know six things to never reveal on Facebook.
1. Your Birthdate and Place
Of course you can put your birthday on Facebook but without the year. Identifying the year and birth place allows thieves the opportunity to steal your identity. According to a study done by Carnegie Mellon, identifying a date and place of birth makes it easier for thieves to predict most of the numbers in your social security number. Now that's scary!
2. Minute to Minute Details
Never post something to the extent of " Leaving tonight for Madrid. Won't be back for a week" or "Heading to the grocery store". We understand how excited you are about going home or visiting a new place, but everyone can see that post and know that your belongings are being left unattended. Post the photos on Facebook when you return, if you like. But don’t invite criminals in by telling them specifically when you’ll be gone.
3. Home Address and Phone Numbers
I know that you may find this hard to believe, but many people put their home address and phone numbers on social networking sites. When uploading mobile pictures onto Facebook, it automatically updates your site with that phone number. Please be cautious with such personal information--do not include it ever!
4. Confessions
Your social networking site is exactly that, YOUR site. But it is not the place to admit that you hate your job, lie on your taxes, or are an adamant drinker. Employers commonly peruse social networking sites to determine who to hire — and, sometimes, who to fire.
Need proof? Recently, an emergency dispatcher was fired in Wisconsin for revealing drug use; a waitress got canned for complaining about customers and the Pittsburgh Pirate’s mascot was dumped for bashing the team on Facebook.
Need proof? Recently, an emergency dispatcher was fired in Wisconsin for revealing drug use; a waitress got canned for complaining about customers and the Pittsburgh Pirate’s mascot was dumped for bashing the team on Facebook.
5. Password Clues
You may not know that you are doing this, but it is very common on many social networking pages. Because you and your friends are answering each other's quizzes about the most important and personal things in your life, you are allowing hackers to figure out your password. Many of the security question answers you tell Facebook, your friend posted under your quiz "My favorite things", i.e your favorite song of all time.
6. Risky Behaviors
If you like to street race or smoke like a chimney, do not reveal that on your social media site. Insurance companies are accessing your page to see if you are putting yourself or your property at risk. This method of verification is fairly new, but quickly progressing. You can read more about this new phenomenon here.
Safe Posting,
Savvy Student
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