Social Media Safety

Protect Your Privacy. Protect Your Reputation.

Social media can help you connect with friends, communities, organizations, schools, and future opportunities. But what you share online can also travel beyond the audience you intended.

Use social media thoughtfully and take steps to protect your personal information, your accounts, and your digital reputation.

Think Before You Share

Before posting, commenting, sharing, or sending something, consider what could happen if it reached a larger audience.

Even content shared privately can be:

Screenshotted
Forwarded
Downloaded
Reposted
Shared outside the original group

Ask yourself whether you'd be comfortable having the content connected to your name later.

You don't need to make every post formal or professional. You do need to remember that you can't completely control what happens to something after you share it.

Protect Your Personal Information

Be careful about sharing information that could identify you, locate you, or give someone access to your accounts.

Avoid publicly sharing information such as:

Your home address
Personal phone numbers
Account passwords
Social Security number
Financial information
Detailed daily routines
Real-time location information
Travel plans that reveal when you'll be away
Private information about someone else

Review the personal information included in your profiles as well as the information contained in your posts.

Use Privacy Settings

Privacy settings can help you control who sees your profile and content.

Regularly review:

Who can see your posts
Who can contact you
Who can tag or mention you
Whether posts require your approval before appearing on your profile
Which apps have access to your account
Whether your location is being shared

Privacy settings are useful, but they aren't a guarantee that something will remain private.

Protect Your Accounts

Account security is part of social media safety.

Use:

Strong, unique passwords
Multi-factor authentication when available
Updated recovery information
Caution with unfamiliar links and messages

Don't share passwords with friends, and be cautious when a message asks you to log in, provide a verification code, send money, or share personal information.

If something seems unusual, verify the request another way before responding.

Be Careful With Location Sharing

Real-time location information can reveal more than you realize.

Photos, check-ins, event posts, and location-sharing features can show where you are, where you regularly spend time, or when you're away from home.

Consider sharing experiences after you've left rather than announcing your location or plans in real time.

Treat Others With Respect

The same expectations for respectful behavior apply online.

Don't use social media to:

Bully or harass someone
Threaten another person
Share private information without permission
Post embarrassing images or videos of others without considering their privacy
Impersonate someone
Spread information you know is false

If a conversation becomes heated, give yourself time before responding.

Not every comment needs an immediate reply.

Think About Your Digital Reputation

Your online presence can become part of how other people understand who you are.

Consider what someone who doesn't know you might learn from your public profiles, posts, comments, usernames, and other online activity.

Ask yourself:

Does this represent me accurately?
Am I comfortable having this associated with my name?
Am I treating other people respectfully?
Am I sharing something that should remain private?
Could this affect someone else's safety or privacy?

Your digital presence doesn't need to be perfect. It should be something you're comfortable taking responsibility for.

Keep School and Work Expectations in Mind

Schools, colleges, employers, teams, and organizations may have policies governing online behavior or use of their names, systems, or resources.

Understand the expectations that apply to you.

If you're communicating with a college or employer, also pay attention to the basics:

Use an appropriate email address.
Check your email regularly.
Use professional language when the situation calls for it.
Keep voicemail greetings appropriate.
Respond to important messages.

Be Careful With What You See Online, Too

Social media safety isn't only about what you post.

Be cautious about:

Scams and fraudulent offers
Fake accounts
Phishing messages
Scholarship scams
Job or internship offers that ask for money or sensitive information
Impersonation
Misleading or manipulated content

Before acting on information, consider who created it and whether you can verify it through a reliable source.

If Something Goes Wrong

If you're being harassed, threatened, impersonated, scammed, or made uncomfortable online:

Don't feel obligated to respond.
Save evidence when appropriate.
Block or report the account.
Review your privacy and security settings.
Tell a trusted adult, school official, employer, or other appropriate person.
Contact law enforcement or emergency services when there is an immediate safety threat.

Before You Post

Take a moment and ask:

Is it safe?
Am I revealing personal information or location details?

Is it respectful?
Could this harm or embarrass someone else?

Is it accurate?
Do I know the information I'm sharing is true?

Is it mine to share?
Am I respecting someone else's privacy or work?

Am I comfortable owning it?
Would I be okay having this connected to me later?

Social media can be a positive part of your life. Use it in ways that protect both yourself and the people around you.