Article
The Risks of Social Networking
Social networking involves a lot of people and a whole lot of technology. And with all that, comes a lot of different ways to communicate and (email, IMs, PMs, video, poking, friending ... you know the drill). As cool as computers, cell phones, and social networking sites are, they each come with some sort of risk. Probably more than you ever would have expected.
Risk, shmisk, you say? Don't knock it. There are actually FOUR -- yes, 4-- different types of risks from social networking.
- Risks to you from others: You could be cyberbullied, targeted by a sexual predator, your friends may share too much info about you, or someone could steal your ID.
- Risks to others from you: Whether it's intentional or not, you could be cyberbullying someone or you could share too much info on one of your friends.
- Risks to your computer: Someone can stick a virus or spyware into a download, or use tricks to get into your computer or your accounts by "phishing." Or guess your password and hack into your computer.
- Risks you pose to yourself: Are you really willing to have your parents, principal, the police or a predator know everything you post online? Even worse, you might post that picture of yourself online, or that story that was funny ... at the time. But when the college admissions office or that potential summer employer sees it ... well, this may be the biggest risk of all.
Now all this isn't just to scare you. It's just to help you think before you click. The more you know the safer you (and your friends) will be. Now, read on to learn how to avoid these risks.