You know what they should teach in school? Social media etiquette, that’s what. Sounds crazy, right? Well yeah, but not when you step back and think about how valuable a class like this could be for those who are new to the social media scene.
Individuals could learn the ins and outs of Facebook, the social giant with over a billion users, millions of whom don’t know the slightest thing about what they should and should not be sharing with the world.
Unfortunately, such a class does not exist, so people must figure it all out for themselves. To help you out, check out this list of five things you should never do on Facebook.
1. Accept Random Friend Requests
A lot of people blindly accept Facebook friend requests from total strangers, which is actually not cool. Do you really want to grant some random person full access to your daily life, including your photos, location check-ins, status updates, etc.? Nope, didn’t think so!
2. Share Personal Information
Sharing personal information on Facebook, or any website for that matter can have potentially damaging effects. You should never share anything that includes your passwords, bank accounts, credit card information, or home address.
Who would do something like that, right? Well, you’d be surprised how often people’s information ends up in the wrong hands all because of Facebook.
3. Post Risque Pics
If you decide to post racy photos, then you’d better make sure that you’re fully aware of the consequences that might come back to bite you. Sharing photos of this nature might seem like no big deal at the time, but unfortunately, once you send those images out into the depths of the interwebs, you can never fully get them back.
Even if you delete them, you never know who has seen them or saved them. So, it’s best to refrain from this type of social media behavior altogether.
4. Broadcast Upcoming Vacation Plans
When you’re about to go to an exotic location for a long-awaited vacation, the worst thing you can do is broadcast it to the entire world. Yes, we mean Facebook, and you’d never guess it, but crooks use Facebook and other social sites to pick out their targets.
They look for posts that translate to, “My house will be empty for the next two weeks, have at it!”. Unless you live in the capital and your place is a registered Guardian house in London play it safe and hold back the urge to brag about your awesome vacation on social media until after you get back.
5. Log In On Public Computers
When it comes to public computers, you never know who is watching, and for that reason, you should never log in to your Facebook account on a public device.
An expert hacker could easily track the login credentials of every person who used a public computer, including you. The same goes for your email, bank accounts, and any other account which holds private information about your life.
Can YOU think of anything else that people should never do on Facebook? Share with us in the comment box below.
About the author: Alex Williams is a blogger from San Diego, CA. He specializes in writing about tips for web users, particularly on social media.