B
y: B
There are many different social media websites that people of all ages are logging into today. Kids, teens, adults, and even the elderly are logging onto social networking sites. It has become easier than ever to keep up with friends and family without actually having to stay in contact, thanks to Facebook and Twitter. With so many different social media websites that people are using to connect, is it really safe to put all your personal information on them? These sites now have the ability to “check in” and “tag” friends with you wherever you are. You can post a status about what you are doing at any moment, not only from your computer, but from your smart phone as well. This gives people the opportunity to know exactly what you are doing.
Both men and women are connecting on these sites, but most of the women I know have their profiles as private as possible so “creepers” can’t look into where they are, who they are with, or any other personal information. On the other hand, I have noticed most men keep their profiles open to whoever wants to see. These differences relate to the fact that women don’t feel safe allowing personal information open for anyone to read. A study done by Haltabuse in 2010 of 347 people concluded that 73% of women surveyed have been cyberstalked, compared to 27% of men. An interesting thing to notice is the amount of friends most women have versus the amount of friends most men have. Typically, women don’t have as many friends as men, because women usually only accept people they know to view their page. This all relates back to women not feeling safe allowing anyone to look at personal information. From my own experience with social media sites, I regularly have people that I don’t know request to be my friend. I have never had a woman try to add me as a friend that I didn’t know, but the number of men that have done it is outrageous. There’s a tool Facebook provides called Mutual Friends, which allows you to see how many of the same friends you have with anyone on Facebook. Those men that continuously add women they don’t know usually don’t have mutual friends; their choice is solely based on how a woman looks in her profile picture.
Although social media sites can be a great way to catch up with family and friends when life gets hectic, it can also be a very dangerous activity. With the proper safety precautions, the dangerous part of online networking can quickly disappear. People of all ages are connecting online. By keeping personal information private and only allowing people you know to look at your page, you won’t have to fear who is actually looking at your life through a screen.
W T F ! 
minarinko
November 14, 2011
It was really interesting article, because my female roommate hates social networks even facebook and i was wondering what makes her hate it, because I love blogging and going on the facebook. I learned that social media is fun, but it is dangerous and we need to pay attention the bad side of it. Thank you for sharing your idea!
HIH
November 14, 2011
The idea of social media is to connect with old friends, i think that because Facebook and twitter make it so easy for us to know what everyone is doing, there is no reason for us to actually have a conversation, we already know what they are doing! Facebook has ruined many lives, women are being stocked and girls harassed by other girls. It’s very important for people to be aware of this and to take proper precautions.
Larosa
November 10, 2011
I am glad you brought up this subject. I can cancelled my facebook or hi5 account because i have been a victim of emotional distress by a stucker. At that time, facebook didn’t have the option to keep your information private. Since that time i never felt secure to use any social media website. But i guess, by now it is becoming safer than before. So, ladies, don’t accept starangers friend requests if you don’t want to put yourself in dangereous position.
seybe001
November 9, 2011
B,
You bring up a very good point here in the differences in gender “norms” of males and females. It is sad that there are factors in our society (such as stalking via the Internet), which cause us to act different in our ways. Through spreading awareness on this subject such as you have done in your article, we will be able to equalize the safety felt when using the Internet among men AND women of all ages.
chaldeasevilla
November 9, 2011
Hi B,
Thank you for blogging about social media. Social media has become more widely popular with men, women and even businesses. There are many pros and cons to having a Facebook and Twitter accounts. Your advice on keeping personal information private is valuable advice. I think everyone would benefit from this to avoid the dangers of creepers and unwanted followers.