Social Media Problems

Problems With Social Media

There has been so much hype about social media that we overlook many of the social media problems that exist.

Social Media Isn’t Private

I don’t want to scare you away from using Social Media. You just have to be smart and you just have to be aware. Social Media grants the ability to track what you do on the net. You sign up for an account, you use your real name. You sign up for another account, you use your real name and maybe some other information that identifies you. Before you know it your information is all over the internet because little by little information is connected together using your email addresses and other private profile information you give them.

Here’s My Scenario: I was doing a search for something on the web and landed on a page that contained the information I wanted. I liked the information on the page and decided to share it on Facebook using a button available on the page. I clicked the button to share using Facebook, added my comment and clicked share it closed out the window.

No problem right? Wrong. Little did I know that even though the window closed out after I finished my post, I was still logged in. Facebook was tracking my every move! I started seeing Facebook buttons throughout the remainder of my time on the internet with the “Like” button already checked and all I had to do was inadvertently (accidentally) click the “submit” button.  It only shows on sites that have the Social Media Plugin installed.

I thought perhaps that this is something new Google had done but after a few times, I decided to check my Facebook login status. “Lo and Behold,” I was already logged in. This is how you can be tracked on the internet.

This happens with your cell phone as well. When you log into Facebook, you stay logged in by default. This is not just with Facebook but any social media… chat, etc.  With cell phones, you have location services that track you.  However you can enable or disable location sharing features on your phone.

How To Stay Private

When you log into social media account, be sure you log off after you are done. Only give information you don’t mind everyone having using social media. Don’t pass private notes, don’t put your phone number, or an email address that you don’t want the world to know about. This is different for businesses, because they want the world to know about them. If you want a professional Facebook account, consider setting up a Facebook Fan page instead of using a personal account.

Social Media is good for a lot of business reasons. It is a great way to Network and share information. As long as we remember that it is what it is, a “network” we will know how to act accordingly.