1. Handout 4 Minimising risks
Exploring social media
Handout 4 Minimising risks

2. Assessment criteria The learner will:
1.2 Describe how to mimimise risks associated with using social media

3. Social media – minimising risks
Social media is here to stay…and so are all your posts
The posts that seem hilarious and cool now are most likely not going to reflect your personality in ten years’ time
The instantaneous nature of many social media interactions means they are likely to be less considered than other types of permanent written communication

4. Minimising behavioural problems
When posting: ‘Do as you would be done to’
Consider the appropriateness of using social media for communicating information
Don’t prioritise social media during face-to-face interactions
Keep check of the amount of time spent checking posts
Use social media positively
When posting: “Do as you would be done to.” – Stop and think before posting critical, teasing or ridiculing comments about how you would feel if this comment were posted about you. Unfriend or hide postings from those who make negative comments. Many sites contain a button to report abusive comments. If you become victim of an attack of vicious comments, suggestions are to take the response offline, retweet the comment to gain support from your other followers, or in extreme cases to contact the Police.
Consider the appropriateness of using social media for communicating information – sensitive communications should be by other methods. Consider the reactions of those reading the post.
Don’t prioritise social media during face-to-face interactions – if you are out with friends, give them your full attention – most older people would consider it extremely rude not to. Personal growth is encouraged by focussing on what you are doing with the people around you rather than focussing on what others are doing without you.
Keep check of the amount of time spent checking postings – three hours a day is considered addiction. Remove the app from your phone if necessary so you have to make an effort to log on.
Use social media positively – Do not be afraid to block/unfollow people whose posts stir up negative emotions in you, whether these be feelings of discontent with your life, painful reminders of a past relationship or simply irritation.

5. Minimising privacy issues
Use the privacy settings
Screen friendship requests/review friends
Create different groups for friends
Create different profiles for different purposes
Think before you post
Use the privacy settings – to control what friends, friends of friends and others can see. Use the application’s settings to control whether to allow tagging by others – this enables you to have some control over others’ photos of you. Privacy settings should be periodically reviewed as sites often change their policies. Facebook, for example, has a tool to allow you to see how your profile is viewed by friends, others and named individuals.
Screen friendship requests/review friends – do not be tempted to accept all requests. Do you know them at all? Consider how they have found you and whether you really want to give them access to your personal life.
Create different groups for friends – not all friends are equal: there are some that you may not wish to know all about your weekend, eg work colleagues. Creating friend groups makes it easier to select who will see at the point of posting.
Create different profiles for different purposes – eg one for your real friends, a work-related one, an interest-related one, and set the privacy settings/control friend requests accordingly.
Think before you post! Your profile is an advertisement for you. Do not allow inappropriate photos or off-the-cuff comments to count against you in the future.

6. Minimising criminal use
Robbery
Hacking/phishing
Infringing the law:
Pitfalls of using photos on social media
Mobile phone company sued for astroturfing
Robbery – use the posting settings to control who can see information about where you are/when you are away from home.
Hacking/phishing – take care not to give out personal information to those you do not really know. Set secure passwords to your profiles or the equipment to access them and do not leave them open.
Infringing the law – remember that sharing others’ content without their permission infringes Copyright law: while your friends might not mind your sharing their photos, professionals will. Do not post dishonest reviews.

7. Defamation – trolling
Cases of libellous comments amounting to defamation have reached UK courts
See the BBC’s
Guide to Twitter users
Section 127 of the Communications Act 2003 makes it an offence to send messages that are "grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character“. This applies to posts that may not be seen by the victim.

8. Any questions?
Section 127 of the Communications Act 2003 makes it an offence to send messages that are "grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character“. This applies to posts that may not be seen by the victim.