Understand and check privacy settings - Social media platforms allow users to control their privacy settings to manage the audience of the content they post. Youths must take the time to understand their platform's privacy settings options and ensure their accounts are set as private. This will help protect their personal information from being accessed by unknown individuals.
Be mindful of what you post online - It is essential to encourage young people always to be mindful of their online activity. They should carefully consider each piece of information or photo they share, as once it's online, it is challenging to remove. Oversharing personal or sensitive information can increase the risk of identity theft or cyberbullying.
Use Strong Passwords - Encourage youths to use unique and robust passwords for each online profile. A strong password with a combination of uppercase and lowercase letter, numbers, and special characters can help prevent hackers from guessing them easily.
Do not accept requests from strangers - Teach young people to be cautious before accepting friend requests, even if it seems like a mutual friend referred them. Scammers often try to gain access to personal information or trick users into clicking on links that contain malware.
Keep devices and software up-to-date - Ensuring that all software and devices used to access social media are updated is crucial. Cybercriminals routinely target outdated software to exploit vulnerabilities and gain access to the user's device.
Implementing these strategies can lead to greater cyber safety for youths and help them build a positive online presence. The practice of staying diligent and taking proactive steps to protect personal information can make a considerable difference in reducing risks associated with social media use.