Do you recognize that screenshot? If you don't, just ask the person next to you. Chances are they're among one of the 901 million Facebook users (Sengupta, 2012). What started out as an experiment for a college student, has now evolved into the largest social networking site in the world. As of 2011, 95% of teens ages 12-17 are online,and 80% of online teens use social networking sites (PEW Internet, 2011).
Some teens base their decisions on the
actions and thoughts of their peers. A growing trend like Facebook will
definitely catch their interest. As more and more of their friends
create their accounts, the more they'll feel pressured to do the same in
order to "fit in".
Another popular reason is an increasing
desire for their own personal virtual space. Even though 1 in every 13
people in the world use Facebook (Digital Buzz, 2011), users are still
able to choose their "friends". Therefore, this creates the perfect
outlet for teens to express their opinions without their parents
knowledge.
Teens would also desire a much more
convenient method of communication. Writing on a friend's Facebook Wall
is faster than sending a letter and cheaper than a text message.
Reconnecting with old friends is made easier through the social
networking site because, as mentioned earlier, there are approximately 901 MILLION users.
Due to the site's popularity, some of
the teens are lulled into a false sense of security. They willingly
display sensitive info regarding their age, location, interests, and
even their phone numbers! This exposes them to a number of personal risks, one of which is cyber bullying.
Just to be clear, Facebook isn't the
cause of this social issue. But the lack of online security makes it
easier for other people to exploit our info to their advantage. In the
States, some teens created a Facebook page to spread rumours about the
students of their respective high schools:
Online vultures prey on unsecured Facebook profiles. Identity theft is a common problem where hackers would solicit money from your friends using your identity. Some of your own pictures could also be used in another website without your permission. The following video shows how easy it is for a hacker to guess someone's social security number using two simple Facebook questions:
Did you also know that the apps on Facebook are a threat to your safety? On January 2011, Facebook announced a new policy. They agreed to provide third party websites access to the phone numbers and addresses of Facebook users. Some defenders argued that it was for the benefit of marketing research. However, this controversial policy will lead to other problems such as phishing and spam mail.
We may not realize it, but our privacy settings play a huge role in the exposure of our online information. The 'Everyone' setting literally enables everyone to view everything we have ever posted. 'Liking' a post, a product, or a celebrity means volunteering more and more information about our preferences to advertisers and hackers. Adding just any Tom, Dick, and Harry as a Facebook friend is dangerous because these strangers now have access to you, your family, and your friends profiles.
Regarding the app problem, the solution
is simple: turn it off. However, some teens are reluctant because by
doing so, they wouldn't be able to 'like' anything on Facebook anymore.
Gawker has provided the solution to this predicament: http://gawker.com/5666325/
Another method is to simply stop being
so honest. Stop listing unnecessary information such as your hobbies,
favourite movie, and inspirational quotes. Some users even lie in order
to mislead marketers. Forbes reported some real life examples of users
who've employed this method: http://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill/2012/09/07/fooling-facebook-telling-lies-to-protect-your-privacy/
I'm sure that Facebook users are aware
of the latest profile feature, 'Timeline', a scrapbook-like layout which
emphasizes your most popular posts. It is now much easier for others to
view your older posts. Some others are dissatisfied with this feature
because, what if your most popular post is about an embarrassing moment?
ZoneAlarm has published some simple steps on reducing the security risks: http://www.zonealarm.com/blog/index.php/2011/12/facebooks-timeline-how-to-protect-your-privacy
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