Me and My 500 Friends: Staying Safe on Social Networks

Me and My 500 “Friends”: Staying Safe on Social Networks

Expert Human Relations  Media

Without a doubt, social networking is changing the world. Many changes are positive—long-lost friends manage to reconnect, people fall in love, grandparents watch their distant loved ones reach important milestones. However, the same qualities that make social networking sites like Facebook® appealing—the openness, the sharing, the sense of community—can also create unexpected dangers. In order to navigate this developing online world, young people need current, realistic information on how to make the most of privacy settings, how to recognize dangerous online situations, and how to get help when they need it. The Me and My 500 “Friends”: Staying Safe on Social Networks course gives young people an essential primer on safely using social networks. Experts discuss the dangers of cyberbullying, or harassment that occurs through various forms of technology, as well as the risks of sexting, and identity theft. This course provides social network users important, easy-to-follow rules for keeping information—and themselves—safe while using social networks.

Benefits

Identify the dangers as well as the benefits associated with using social networking sites

Make wiser, more informed decisions about online communication choices

Understand the social, emotional, and physical risks that are inherent in certain types of online behaviors

Appreciate the fact that posting comments, photos, blogs, or other personal items online cannot always be undone

Make better use of privacy settings in order to better safeguard personal information

Understand how to responsibly use social networking sites

Understand how some forms of technology (such as spyware and malware) can be used to cause harm to unsuspecting to Web users