TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - In the 21st Century, social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and many more have recently emerged as a large role in an individuals social life. Everyday news, the release of new products, photos and even private conversations with friends can instantly be viewed on social media platforms.

However, if not used in the safe and right way, social media can play a negative role in one’s life. Acts such as cyber bullying, fraud, and even kidnapping, can be performed through the use of social media.

Read: Jokowi: Blocking Telegram Social Media Not Decided Based on Whim

The following tips show one how to be safe whilst using social media.

Do Not Share Private Information

You have to remember what you have shared through social media can spread rapidly across the internet. It is best for you to not arbitrarily post personal information or post your current location; in order to avoid being a victim of the criminal act of computer hacking. Your complete address and cell phone number should not be shared to the public. If necessary, you can set the privacy settings on your social media accounts so that only friends can view this information.

Carefully Choose Who You Befriend

Do not confirm friend requests or add friends without fully observing their profile. You have to be observant of the links you click whilst browsing the profiles of friends. There are many links that we think are harmless, but once the link has been clicked, a virus that has the ability to steal data or private information, or the ability to ruin your account has been released.

Have a Strong Password

A simple way to have a more protected social media account is to strengthen your password. You can change your password periodically, or have a password that contains a unique combination of letters or numbers that are not easy to guess. Although it is an efficient concept, you should not use the same password for each social media account you have; in order to avoid being a victim of computer hacking.

Perform Actions with Good Ethics

As a result of the rise of social media, many people find themselves in trouble with the law due to acts performed on social media. You must be aware of actions such as using harsh words, expressing tirades of anger, and offensive uploads. Such acts can easily ruin your good name. Information uploaded on social media can quickly spread and become easily accessible to the public. Therefore, you have to be cautious before uploading anything to social media platforms.

Do not Carelessly Share links

Although we often like to share or keep links as they are interesting or if you wish to keep the link for private use, we should not carelessly perform this action. Do not be easily compelled to share information from a particular link without knowing the credibility of the website or organization. It is possible that you could be contributing to the spreading of hoaxes. Individuals other than ourselves would be disturbed if our social media timeline consists of only provocative links and deliberate misinformation from deceptive websites.

TABLOID BINTANG