Step Out of the Web

Chances are there are at least a handful of people you are friends with, who share every single detail of their life on social media, with little or no thought of whom they might be sharing this information with? Am I right?

Many people will post pictures of expensive gig tickets, new shoes, phones, cars – you name it I’ve seen it all on my newsfeed! And let’s be 100% honest, we have all done it at one stage. Now we all know (I hope) that there are some things that you shouldn’t share on the internet! These things can range from inappropriate photos or what you really think of your boss. However some people really have, as I like to call, update diarrhoea! This sometimes makes me think the internet should be sold with a warning, just like cigarette packs “WARNING, possibility people will know everything about you!”

According to experts, over sharing is pushed by our insecurities. We tend to worry, for some strange reason, about what others think and try to make ourselves look good, which leads to giving away tonnes of information!

Identity theft has become a serious issue and your identity can be stolen from you giving away the simplest thing. You take a picture at your birthday of your lovely #BirthdayMeal upload it to Instagram and think nothing of it. Next week your account is low and you don’t know why, little did you know that picture had your credit card in the corner. Simple!

One of the most common online dangers for anybody who uses social media is that whatever they say is there for the whole world to see! You might think you are innocently posting online, however, with more employers doing background screenings before hiring, getting involved with online bullying, drug taking and so on can easily come back to haunt you!

Some tips to enjoy social media securely

Keep personal info personal- Nobody needs to know what you’re having for breakfast! People you see once in a blue moon don’t need to know your life story, speak to a family member or close friends; this will help you, more than a few likes!

• Know when to take action – If someone harasses or threatens you even once, remove them from your friends list, block them, and report them to the site administrator.
• If you’re bothered let them know – Yes to your friends, it maybe banter, but it might be upsetting to you. If this is the case let them know!
• Privacy settings – They did not add this as a feature for no apparent reason. It is always good to have your profiles on private. There is no need for random strangers to know anything about you.

One thing that social media has somewhat put a stop too is meeting face to face. Now the social awkward person might be perfectly fine with this but meeting face to face is more important than you think. Yes social media is a godsend when it comes to getting in contact with family and friends, however sitting behind a screen looking into a virtual universe is making us lose the physical connection between people.

Now when I say meeting face to face is the way to go, I do not mean finding a stranger on Facebook and meeting up with them, that is just a no go! Sooner or later, virtual meetings in business and social life are going to be the way forward. There's no replacement for face to face meetings. Being able to study someone's body language and emotions and being physically present in an office, coffee shop or bar is invaluable, however all of this gets lost when communication takes place virtually.

There are two stand out reasons as to why face to face meetings are so important; there are other obvious reasons such as getting out for air.

• Immediate resonses – When people communicate with each other in person, they can get a response immediately without room for any misunderstandings. During the conversation, people can see how they are feeling, hear different responses and also hear different opinions.
• Expression of feelings – Meeting face to face helps people express not only their feelings, but their ideas much better. Nowadays people use letters, email, texts and phone calls for communication. With face to face, people use eye contact and language to voice their opinions.