August 08, 2007
The potential for misuse of information on social media sites is a real concern. For a rather scary perspective on the amount of and potential (mis)uses of personal information held on Facebook, it is worth a few minutes to watch the flash video “Does what happens in the Facebook stay in the Facebook?” Some of the information provided in that video should be taken with with a grain of salt, but it does demonstrate that we, as a population, need to be careful.
Many Facebook users simply don’t connect the dots! While our young have absorbed parental messages to not talk to strangers, not walk home alone, look left and right before crossing the street, some feel it appropriate to provide a plethora of contact information, party locations, after school activities and other details on the net for all to see. Some even feel it is safe to post provocative pictures on their user profiles, photo galleries, open groups etc. With the abundance of other photo and video posting facilities available it is not fair to single out Facebook, MySpace or other services in this regard.
Social networks naturally present a somewhat benign “come join the fun” atmosphere that is attractive to users eager to promote and enhance their social status through the coolness of electronic communications.
Larry Lowlife* could easily take advantage of this information and disguise himself as the guy across town who coincidentally matches the likes and dislikes of the unsuspecting user. With considerable help from the viral nature of the Facebook friends facility and only a little effort, Larry could find telephone numbers or party locations with addresses, dates and times. With this information Larry and his friends Stuart Stalker* and Tom Peeping* could wreak all manner of havoc on the unsuspecting.
Most young Internet users are significantly more tech-savvy than their technically challenged parents. For years now, automated and manual attempts at effective parental Internet control have been met with easy work-arounds. Users may have one cleaned-up social network profile that satisfies their parents’ concerns and others by which they feel free to express themselves in different ways.
Despite the obvious technology intimidation factor, all parents have an obligation to scrutinize the online existence of their children. Sadly, many do not.
The free-wheeling, tell-all nature of social media sites has already been implicated for some heinous crimes. Perhaps you have seen the 2006 Dateline NBC Video episode on this topic ….. apparently it is to too late to warn some unsuspecting victims. A heightened awareness will eventually spread in ways that will influence social network providers to further reinforce content and other restrictions.
On the lighter side, check out Penn Masala’s Facebook Skit, a parody of Enrique Iglesias’ song Hero - a riot!
* - fictitious names for purposes of illustration (please accept my condolences if your parents actually tagged you with these monikers)
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