As a blogger, I read so many blogs on a daily basis and follow quite a bit of bloggers on their social media platforms as well. I can not dispute the fact that the rise and rise of social media sites have made communication easier and cheaper. You can reach your audience at the touch of a button, sell goods and services in the comfort of your home, and even stalk your Venezuelan boyfriend.
Yet, due to its efficiency, we tend to get the urge to share more on social media. Mind you, most of the people we interact online with are people we have never met personally and can’t say we know them for sure. Social sites have opened new ways for users to share all kind of memories and personal information which of course, is nothing new. However, many users are putting their lives and those of their families in danger because they can’t stop themselves from oversharing.
Ironically, the people who share most online are the ones making noise online about the lack of a data protection law. How do you expect someone else to protect your data if you yourself don’t have any issue with putting your information out there willingly? It is mind-boggling how someone can display an obvious disregard for their safety and those in their loved ones.
So why should we concern ourselves with this? This is because the information might get to the wrong person.
Cybercriminals are smart and connected. It is okay to post a status update or a photo online, but posting each and every activity you do several times a day is dangerous, especially if you put your location there as well. It gives a potential stalker the information they need to track you.
No matter the settings you have on your phone, there is no guaranty someone cannot find you online. Anyone can be a victim of hacking without knowing. Sharing too much info can give hackers the information they need for identity theft. Also, you might be a victim of target marketing. You will start receiving calls from strangers to buy their products, phishing emails and even find yourselves having second accounts under your name.
Oversharing can also ruin the reputation you have worked so hard to build and maintain. I am not against anyone posting their opinions and thoughts. This is a free world and you have the freedom to express yourself. But, with the changing times, some opinions are best left out of the public domain. Call your best friend and rant, but think twice before you post something. It might come back to bite you, in a painful way. The world doesn’t love you. It will chew you and spit you out before you can blink.
Just recently, actor Kevin Hart got a gig to emcee the 2019 Academy Awards. (Its a big deal) Unfortunately, an old tweet that he posted in 2011 came back and let’s say, things didn’t exactly pan out well for him. Well, he apologized, which didn’t make that much of a difference.
Look, at the end of the day, it is your choice whether you choose to share or not. Anyone online should be careful of the information we put online. Limiting the personal posts and info will lessen the exposure towards these threats. After all, better safe than sorry.