Your Online Footprint

What is Facebook? Facebook is an online social networking site in which young adults can have discussions, connect with friends, share interests, play games, and also organize social events Over 500 million people use facebook 46.4% of users are between the ages of 13-25

Great Invention or bad news? For the most part Facebook provides a fun and safe way for users of all ages to communicate with their pals However, kids are at the greatest risk for falling victim to the dangers of Facebook which include harassment from others, online predators, and even identity theft

Nothing online is truly private… Unless you have adjusted your privacy settings many adults and strangers can see what youre doing, posting, and where youre at while using Facebook; even after adjusting your privacy settings your account can still be hacked into for individuals to access your personal information

How can I use Facebook Safely? The internet counts…If it illegal in person it is illegal online; even if youre only joking Police monitor facebook daily seeking out criminal activity and arresting guilty individuals Dont let your emotions rule your typing; never respond to a posting while angry or hurt, even if you were originally the victim Beware of 3 rd party applications such as games as they have different terms of agreement then what facebook may require (Farmville, tapfish, etc) If someone is harassing you block them or delete them from your friends list

Safety Advice Continued Never pose as someone else online, that is considered identity theft and is illegal Dont respond the online bullying, rather save the message, tell an adult and report the harassment to facebook and or your school administration Online friends are strangers no matter how long you have known them Change your privacy settings to make sure only friends can see your information and profile Never open a link posted to your wall as it may contain a virus or lead to a inappropriate site

Facebook Trouble The effects of cyber bullying have unfortunately lead to some young adults committing suicide, having poor self esteem, and many unnecessary fights 32% of teens have experienced some sort of harassment via the internet; including having private information being forwarded without permission, threatening messages, and embarrassing photos being posted without their consent

Cyber Bullying continued Children and teens are significantly willing to go farther and to type things on facebook they would never say in person Often children believe online statements dont count because they are not being said to someones face

Build a respectable online footprint Things you post today may hurt your reputation in the future, keep you from getting into colleges, and even prevent you from getting a job Only post age appropriate photos, wall posts, and stay away from over sharing of personal information

Follow the golden rule If you dont have something nice to say dont say it at all! If you wouldnt want your parent to read what you posted, it likely wasnt worth posting Use Facebook responsibly and it can be a great tool for future opportunities and networking