In yesterday’s Table Talks, we discussed the pros and cons of using social media. The general consensus that we came to which I agree with is that moderation when it comes to using social media is probably the best and that people need to be cautious about what they share online. I personally do not think that privacy exists on the Internet – when I share something on Facebook, I make sure that these are posts that I would not mind the public seeing. I think that we have gotten too comfortable with social media and that people tend to share more information than they should on it. With regards to the current Facebook scandal, I am also reminded that there is so much happening behind the scene that we do not know about. In an age where almost everything relies on the Internet, can we ever be 100% sure that our information is in the right hands?
I often feel that my social media posts and activity exists within the same limits that I do everyday. This idea that just because you choose who follows or friends you and you decide between different privacy options creates a safe social media space is easy to believe. I received a follow request on instagram and when I opened the private page the small profile picture in the left corner looked oddly familiar to me. I checked my own page and I was right… It was a picture of me from behind that I had posted years ago. This really freaked me out in the past few weeks to be honest because I have no idea who this page is and have not been allowed access to their page to see if they are using other pictures!