Don't be an oversharer
Published: 19/05/2022
Social media is a great way to stay in touch with family, friends and keep up to date on the latest news and events.
Social media can also make studying and research more efficient, but as a busy student sometimes your personal safety online can be at the bottom of your list.
It's really important to know how to manage the security and privacy settings on your accounts, so that your personal information remains inaccessible to anyone but you.
Social media: how to use it safely
- Don’t be an oversharer - Limit personal details included on your profiles and try not to publicly post things like your address, birthday, contact details etc.
- Think about who you’re sharing your information with - Only accept people you know and consider your privacy settings.
- Don’t broadcast your location - Location or geotagging features on social networks are not the safest feature to activate. In theory, you could be telling someone you don’t know exactly where to find you or telling a thief that you are not home.
- Use 2-step verification to protect your accounts - Often shortened to 2SV (or two-factor authentication) it provides a way of 'double checking' that you really are the person you are claiming to be when signing in.
- Don’t post questionable content - Remember, future employers may look at your social media accounts before hiring you. Questionable content can include pictures, videos or opinions that may make you seem unprofessional or unkind and can damage your reputation or future prospects.
Social media and extremist content
In addition to your personal safety, it’s important to know that online platforms are also used as a way of radicalising individuals, with criminal and terrorist organisations often using modern technology to recruit people to their cause. If you encounter any extremist content or are concerned about anything disturbing you have seen online, then contact Student Support Services.