Many great things come from social media, like the ease of communication, the rapid spread of information, and how it can act as a channel for positivity and benefaction. However, despite all the wonderful things that social media has brought us, it would be unwise not to recognize the potential hazards that can be found lurking online. Being aware of them is essential to navigating social media in a safe and secure way.

If I were explaining such things to a younger sibling, I would tell them to avoid doing any of these three things. First of all, I would advise them not to share anything they wouldn’t want someone to see. It may sound broad, but once something is on the internet, it is there forever, and taking the post down usually does not resolve the issue. A good rule to go by is that if you wouldn’t want your mother or father to see whatever you are sharing, it is probably not a good idea to post it.

The second thing I would advise them to avoid is to limit interaction with someone if you don’t actually know them in real life. This is because, on social media, anyone can pretend to be someone they’re not, and use this fact to gain your trust, and then pursue whatever malevolent intentions they could be hiding. Of course, not everyone on social media is out to do you harm. There is a difference between contributing to an online discussion with other people and allowing someone you don't know to message you and giving away your personal information. But, of course, it is always better to be safe rather than to be sorry.

The third thing I would highlight is never to use the same password for everything, especially if it is a very easy password to guess. This is because if anyone cracks the password, they instantly have access to all of your accounts across all social media and can then do whatever they wish with them, including using them to find out your personal information. To avoid this, it is best to use different, complex passwords for each piece of social media you utilize.

I would also give them some general advice to always be mindful of what they say, as it can easily be taken out of context in the future, to disregard people who lash out for attention since they would be giving them exactly what they want. Finally, I would suggest using a private account for whatever piece of social media they are using to better filter who has access to their posts and general information.