Exams are finally over and we are settling into the vacation mood. Hurrah!
And true to your promise, you are now returning smart devices to your kids, and removing internet usage restrictions. Before that, though, you will apply a new scratch guard over the smartphone, painstakingly wipe the dust off the gaming consoles, power up your favorite e-readers, correct? Sort of spring cleaning for the house to add new sparkle and energy to our lives but even more for our digitally enabled devices, isn’t it?
Here’s another thought. Why not use this opportunity to start afresh with our digital lives? Essentially, a scrubbing for all our social media accounts so they become squeaky clean! And while we are at it, let’s also oil the old joints, i.e. tighten up our account security & privacy details online. Better yet, let’s make this a family tradition for young and the old who are young at heart.
Did I just hear you say, “Come again?” Perhaps you are wondering if this is similar to deleting temporary files, running defragmentation and freeing up space on your computing hardware. Well, I am not only recommending a hardware clean-up but also a digital clean-up.
Over the years, we may have signed up for several social media sites, and other online accounts. Gradually however, we limit our activities to a few and ultimately neglect most others. We may be leaving behind a veritable photo-documentary of our life history, dated records, thoughts and actions. Most importantly, with time, the information may not be relevant.
Stay Vigilant:
- Be Mindful – unsecured old online profiles are likely to fall prey to trolls, bullies and cyber criminals who may even use your digital identity as a front
- Be Future Ready– It is now a known fact that colleges and would-be employers often check social media profiles of candidates to understand their background. Our virtual records might offer a different perspective, one that we may not want to present in certain scenarios
A digital clean-up also frees us of unnecessary worries in the future by eliminating the chance of leaving undesirable digital footprints.
So it’s time to pick up the virtual dusters!
- Cut Down: Revisit all content, personal details, pictures, delete or deactivate accounts for sites that you don’t visit any more
- Privacy settings: Maximize privacy on all apps, especially for kids. Children may not have usernames that reveal their full names. Sharing of details about birthdays, addresses, even school details should be monitored
- Permission: Update the settings for social media accounts so that every time a third party wants access to personal information, you get a notification
- Install and update security tools: Do not neglect this step for it is the most vital of all
Two super handy tips that can be used over and above the earlier pointers:
- Google Alerts: Set up Google alerts against each family member’s name so that every time their names are mentioned in the virtual space in any context, you would know
- Turn on tag notifications for social media accounts: This is to ensure your timeline isn’t filled with undesirable pics
Social media is super exciting but it’s essential to engage with a purpose to have positive effects. Have fun connecting online with new people but do so with the aim of sharing, learning and gaining from such interactions. Remember, appearances and perceptions can change with time for what may look ‘cool’ today may not look so ‘cool’ a decade later. Most importantly, remember that “What goes online, stays online.” That is, unless, you make an attempt to clean up your digital presence.
And always do keep in mind the mantra- STOP. THINK. POST. so that we have a positive surfing experience!
Cybermum India 