{"id":615,"date":"2012-12-04T07:45:30","date_gmt":"2012-12-04T15:45:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/internetsafety.trendmicro.com\/?p=615"},"modified":"2012-12-04T07:45:30","modified_gmt":"2012-12-04T15:45:30","slug":"tis-the-season-to-share-wisely","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.trendmicro.com\/internet-safety\/blog\/tis-the-season-to-share-wisely\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Tis the Season to Share, But With A Cell Phone, Share Wisely"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>by Lynette Owens<\/p>\n

In a recent study<\/a> about cell phone use by the Pew Internet and American Life project, 82% of respondents said they use their phone to take pictures and 80% use it to send or receive text messages.\u00a0 These were by far the most popular uses of phones; in a distant 3rd<\/sup> place was accessing the Internet, which 56% of responded said they did.<\/p>\n

While the study was done on people over the age of 18, it\u2019s not hard to assume similar trends and attitudes among young people, too.\u00a0 According to Pew, over 75% of teens own a cell phone and half of them send an average of 1500 text messages a month.<\/p>\n

For those of us who have them, we love our cell phones.<\/p>\n

From Good Sharing to Oversharing<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Facebook\u2019s growth and global reach proves that we love sharing things with others, probably as much as we love using our cell phones. The only thing we may love more than either of these is doing them both.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s so easy to do with mobile social networking apps like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr.\u00a0 The fact that we can capture something we\u2019ve seen and need to share immediately with our friends and family is an amazing ability. One tap and you have a picture.\u00a0 One more and you have a massive audience for it.<\/p>\n

Take Hurricane Sandy, for example.\u00a0 Instagram, the photo-sharing app that functions much like Twitter and Facebook, logged around 1.3 million photos<\/a> tagged with the word #sandy.\u00a0 These were images taken by the public and shared with the world, so the rest of us could see what was happening, up close and in near real-time.<\/p>\n

It will go down as another shining example of social media\u2019s usefulness and power to do good.<\/p>\n

But the same tools can be misused, to the detriment of the person using it.<\/p>\n

Our researchers<\/a> have been tracking a current trend among youth around the world taking photos of their new driver\u2019\"\"<\/a>s licenses or new credit or debit cards and posting them online for all to see.\u00a0 Account numbers and home addresses are clearly shown.\u00a0 We\u2019ve blurred them in these photos, but you might find many online just by\u00a0doing a quick search.<\/p>\n

These users have made it very easy for people who might have less than good intentions, like identity thieves, stalkers, and other criminals to do their crimes.<\/p>\n

We can\u2019t yet be sure this is a massive trend \u2013 we certainly hope not \u2013 but it is a risky behavior.\u00a0 It\u2019s another example of why we need to guide young people about safe, responsible technology use before we give it to them.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Guiding our Snap-Hap\"\"<\/a>py Kids<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The concept of over-sharing is not new.\u00a0 The website pleaserobme.com highlighted the bad judgment by social media users, when they publicly posted information letting people know where they physically were, through location services like Foursquare, for example. (The site no longer showcases people\u2019s public posts, but the URL does exist to raise awareness and educate people about the risks of over-sharing.)\u00a0<\/p>\n

We\u2019re social animals.\u00a0 We want to share.\u00a0 We want to shout our good news aloud, whether it\u2019s about a new driver\u2019s license, new job, new baby, or 25-pound turkey we just cooked. \u00a0And we want to be acknowledged and congratulated for it.\u00a0 This is understandable.\u00a0 It\u2019s human.<\/p>\n

But we\u2019ve got to consider what we\u2019re sharing and who we\u2019re sharing it with.\u00a0\u00a0 We\u2019ve got to understand and help our kids know how to distinguish between what is or isn\u2019t ok to share.\u00a0 Here\u2019s some guidance you can give your kids, perhaps before they get their new cell phone this holiday:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Know and follow the rules.<\/strong>\u00a0 All of these social media sites require their users to be at least 13.\u00a0 If you\u2019re not yet 13, you\u2019ll need to wait.\u00a0 If you have a child under 13 with a smart phone or other device that uses apps, consider turning on the restrictions that will prevent them from using apps that are age-appropriate. (For iOS devices, this is under Settings>General>Restrictions and is password-protected.)<\/li>\n
  2. Assume anything you post is public.<\/strong>\u00a0 Think before you share it, even if it\u2019s just to a one person.\u00a0 Like a secret, they can still share it with others.\u00a0 Only take and share photos you wouldn\u2019t mind everyone seeing.<\/li>\n
  3. Use privacy settings.<\/strong>\u00a0 The major social sharing mobile apps like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter all have them.\u00a0 Turn them on so that only the people you allow can see your photos.<\/li>\n
  4. Be a minimalist.<\/strong>\u00a0 Say only what you need to say, even to those you already know and trust.\u00a0 Share it with only those you need to share it with.\u00a0<\/li>\n
  5. Be alert about the people who follow or friend you.<\/strong>\u00a0 It\u2019s best to share photos only with those you know.\u00a0 Ignore friend or follow requests from those you don\u2019t know.<\/li>\n
  6. Turn off geo-location on your camera.<\/strong>\u00a0 Phone cameras use an identifier that pinpoints exactly where you physically took a photo.\u00a0 You can turn this tagging off by turning off the geo-location feature associated with the phone.\u00a0<\/li>\n
  7. Be a good citizen.<\/strong>\u00a0 Don\u2019t take pictures of others to ridicule or harm them.\u00a0 Treat them the way you\u2019d want to be treated.\u00a0 Be considerate.\u00a0 If they don\u2019t want you to share a photo that includes them, respect their privacy.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Here\u2019s a list of links on safe social sharing from some of the major social networks:<\/p>\n