How to Use Social Media Safely

Evolution of online communication
by ChatGPT and @kittehboi

A Guide for Anipals

Pick the Right App
Use apps you understand, preferably recommended by trusted friends. Read the app’s Privacy Statement and if you disagree, don’t sign up! Despite what you see on Facebook, it’s not possible to unilaterally override a binding contract by posting that you disagree.
Keep Your Info Private
Don’t share your full name, address, or phone number. Don’t share your email address or your workplace. Make your account private. There are millions of people globally on social media and they aren’t all nice. Most apps have a Settings section where you can pick your privacy, enable or disable notifications, allow AI to train with your posts, manage advertising preferences, and maintain your block list.
Use Strong Passwords
Pick a password no one can guess. Don’t reuse old ones. If you use something obvious like your spouse’s birthday or your pet’s name, anybody who can find that information can guess your password, log in to your account, lock you out, then post terrible things in your name.
Think Before You Post
Never say anything on the internet you wouldn’t want to see spray-painted on the front of your house. This goes for private messages too. Companies may change their privacy policies and expose DMs and profile info. A corollary to this is that unless you delete your posts then your entire account, your posts may show up 5, 10, or even 40 years later.
Be Kind
No name-calling or threats. A reputation can be gone in a minute with a single post. You never know whether deleted posts are really deleted, or whether somebody is screen-capturing conversations. The obverse, of course, is to BLOCK rude people. It’s not worth the aggravation.
Don’t Fall for Fake News
Check before you believe or share a story. Look up the original source on a legitimate, well-known web page. BTW, Wikipedia itself isn’t a reliable web page, but the References at the bottom of the article often are. Bad actors can generate false videos- deepfakes – using AI. Avoid biased pages. Remember, Snopes is your friend.