How safe are you and your data in the world of social media?
Versha Suresh Kavitha,The Young Vision Ambassador (Since Sep 2018), Gulf Asian English School –Sharjah
Do you have a social media account and do you believe that all your data is secure? Well, I would say ‘No’! The moment you jump into social media, you are being watched!
As you know, 15 – 20 years back, there was no sharing of our personal data, as it was in the budding stage where it was merely used by professionals. But these days, our data ends up all over the place though the Internet. Your profile and details can be found in seconds. Just try searching your full name in Google; you might come across your details wherever you have left your foot prints digitally.
Have you ever noticed that you get your news feeds and advertisements based on your day-to-day activities on the Internet? Social media figures out your individuality by the sites you visit, pages you like, the profiles you interact with, your shares, and most importantly your searches. And this is how your personal data is identified and how you are being influenced through news feed advertisements.
You might have come across a recent issue on social media: the transfer and the exploitation of data to influence and target audiences in social media. Nowadays, young teens are strongly attracted towards selfie posts, likes, a sense of need for high followers, likes, etc. When their information goes public, there is the risk that personal information is exposed. So we must be careful when it comes to social media posts, shares and accounts, as there is always an eye on you on the Internet. It’s our duty to ensure ourselves that we are being the same person and projecting who we want to be in social media, as ownership of data in Internet is truly meaningless.
Social Media has equal benefit when used positively. And also it’s our duty to be socially responsible while posting.
Be social, be secure and post wisely.