Everything you post on social media is there for other people to read. Therefore, use networks such as Facebook and Twitter wisely.
behave yourself
Manners are the lubricant of our society. As children, we learn from our parents how to behave in public and towards other people. These rules are unwritten for the most part, but most people stick to them. The same is true on the internet and on social media such as Facebook and Twitter. But some people think that the internet and social media are anonymous places where you can freely say and do whatever you want. That is of course not the case. The basic premise is: behave as you do in real life. Be polite and friendly, don’t make insulting comments about people, and think carefully about the consequences of posting information on the Internet. Read more about netiquette in Enter 66, in the article ‘Don’t be a digital jerk’.
Don’t just post anything
Everything you post on social media is there for other people to read. Even if it’s just the handful of acquaintances you’ve added as a Facebook friend. They can see what you’ve posted, and you don’t know what happens to it after that. As long as something pertains to you alone, it is your own business. But when it comes to others, you have to pay attention. A joke about someone, posting a photo of someone else online without asking permission… people don’t appreciate that. It is certainly necessary to be careful with pictures that have children in them. People unsuspectingly put it on Facebook. In theory, an adorable photo of a grandchild could end up on a child porn site in another country. So do not post photos of other people without their express permission and also be careful of what photos you share.
For example, you post an unkind comment about your niece on Twitter, accompanied by a photo that she doesn’t like very much. The niece gets angry and calls crying. You decide to delete the tweet and the photo. That seems to be done. What you don’t know, though, is that someone else took a screenshot of the message and photo. This was posted on a forum and is now roaming the internet. You have no control over it anymore. Putting something on the internet is done in a second, removing something often does not work. So with everything you post, think about what could happen to it. When in doubt, don’t.
Don’t be too candid
Be careful with information about yourself on social media. Such as information about when you are home or not, or something about others. ‘Just watering the plants for the children in France’ may sound innocent, but burglars are also on social media. Do not post your address, telephone number, e-mail address and bank account number on public sites or on Facebook or Twitter.
On Facebook you decide who can read your messages. Set this so that only Facebook friends can read them. And only allow people you know as Facebook friends. Then you can share a photo on Facebook from your holiday address.
In the article ‘Facebook: privacy and security’ you can read how to adjust the settings under ‘Control who can see your information’.
Control your privacy
So on the internet you behave just like in real life. Be careful of what you post, don’t involve other people and watch your privacy and that of anyone else. Because what you share on Facebook is visible to others. Our article ‘Facebook: privacy and security’ explains exactly how privacy and security are on Facebook.