Student Resources

Social Networking Sites – Items to consider…

Social Networking sites, such as Facebook and MySpace, offer you an opportunity to interact with an extraordinarily expansive universe of new people. You can sculpt your on-line identity and learn more about how the Internet and its various programs work to create new relationships and communities. These sites make it easy for people to interact with others of similar interests through groups and discussion boards.

While social networking sites are a popular form of communication among college students, it is important to remember that these sites are malleable and create as many obligations as they do opportunities for self expression. You are developing your on-line profile with every post you make, so be mindful of what you share with the public. Social networking sites are not private property. The Internet is a public space. Remember, what you post is a reflection of you. While University faculty and staff are not patrolling profiles, you can reasonably expect University faculty and staff to have access to the information posted on social networking sites [and, if appropriate, to address concerns about what is posted with students]. You should be aware that any information contained in your profile, even if limited in access to those you designate, is public information that can resurface at any time.

Below are some items to keep in mind when you use social networking sites or other means of expression on the Internet:

1. Your “friends” are not the only people viewing your profile

Potential or current employers, family members, professors, administrators, sexual predators, cyber criminals, and others all have access to your on-line profile. It is important to make smart choices when deciding what to post on your profile. It might be a good idea to ask yourself the following questions before posting anything on your site:

• “Does this represent the self image I wish to portray?”
• “Would I be able to have a conversation about this with my employer, professor, parent etc?”
2. Review your privacy settings

Remember, anything posted on the Internet is globally public. Social networking sites offer many different levels of privacy settings which are under your control. Review these settings in your account and decide who you want to allow access to view your profile. Keep in mind, however, that once you post something on the Internet, you've lost control of it. Content, including photographs, on the Internet always has the potential to resurface, even if deleted.

3. Be careful not to post personal contact information in your profile

While it may seem like a good idea to post where you live and your home phone number on your site for your friends, remember, your friends are not the only people viewing your information. As a general rule of thumb you should post only what is available in a public domain. When posting contact information it is strongly recommended that you avoid details such as phone numbers, residence hall, room number, and year of your birth.

4. Hackers, predators, & criminals

Social Networking sites are a goldmine of insecure profiles and personal information. Hackers, predators, and criminals regularly troll personal pages looking for sites they can break into that contain just enough personal data to make a phish1 look legitimate. If you have a weak password, hackers will break into your site, alter your pages and use them to distribute malware2. On-line predators are hunting for people who will commit to trust them. Cyber criminals are gathering personal data to include in phishing emails to convince their targets that the message is authentic. To protect the security of your profile use a “strong” pass phrase (14 or more characters), varying between upper and lowercase letters, and including numbers and symbols. An example of a “strong” pass phrase is: Walkthed0g@4intheAM. Do not share your pass phrase with anyone!

• 1Phish - to send ruse e-mail with a link to a replica of an existing web page, designed to fool users into submitting personal, financial, or password information; to defraud someone using this method; also, to create a website replica for fooling unsuspecting Internet users into submitting personal or financial information or passwords
• 2Malware - Malicious computer software that interferes with normal computer functions or sends personal data about the user to unauthorized parties over the Internet.

*This advisement is from the Division of Student Success in collaboration with the Advisory Committee for Campus Safety and Information Technology Services*