Social Media Basics - Stay safe on social networks

In life there are certain common sense rules we follow in order for that to remain the case, those same rules apply when you use social media to share information online.

How you treat a stranger online should be the same as how you treat someone you don't know in real life. In real life you would not invite just anybody into your home and allow them to look through your personal possessions.

If a stranger sends you a friend request via your social network and you accept, then you should be aware that you are allowing them to see your personal information – your status updates, friends, photos and videos.

Just as in the real world you might be more inclined to communicate with a friend of a friend, on social networks you can check if someone has friends in common with you, before you consider adding them as a friend.

You should also protect yourself with a strong password. A combination that includes numbers and capital letters work well. Keep it secret and keep it safe. It is also worth mentioning that, both online and in real life, when someone comes to you with an easy way to make a lot of money they are probably just after your money.