This week we were assigned 4 short TED talk videos to watch discussing issues of privacy. These videos were very shocking and troubling to hear. Especially the TED talk video “How Revenge Porn Turns Lives Upside Down” by Dairteh Chisolm. Chisolm discussed how her ex-boyfriend sadly put up a website without her knowing and posted graphic images of her. Chisolm had no idea this website existed and was horrified when her ex-husband called her regarding the issue. Her ex-boyfriend threatened her and held social media over her. Chisolm defined this issue as “digital domestic violence” (Chisolm). It was difficult to listen to and I was easily moved by her talk. Chisolm’s discussion, and the other TED talk videos made me reflect on my social media use and my own privacy.
The issues affect me because I am an avid social media user. I may be guilty of sharing too much on the internet which I am quickly reconsidering. I always attempt to make good decisions on what I post and what I should not. I once had someone make a fake Instagram account pretending to be me before. It requested a lot of my family and friends online. I quickly reported the account to get it removed. Other people reported the account as well. After some time, the account was finally taken down. Unfortunately, this has happened to a lot of my friends. It's sad to think this is considered “normal". Not to mention, how I always seem to receive weird messages or emails from accounts requesting money or asking me to apply for promotions.
This is because social media has zero privacy. We are constantly leaving pieces of ourselves online. Once we post, these pieces are open to everyone to see and use. Today, I am guilty of having most of my social media accounts as public, but I am now going to change them back to private. After watching these videos, I learned how important it is to keep our privacy secured online. It’s unsettling that we must worry about these issues and can’t just enjoy social media as it is. I feel the government officials need to do a better job regarding social media use and protecting users' online privacy. I feel we need more secure features put in place to monitor accounts. For example, putting laws in place against hackers to protect its users. Rather than having officials focusing on what we do, they should help decrease the negative side of social media. Focusing more on the negatives will make social media safer and more enjoyable for users. Users should be educated and use social media responsibly to limit their worries of hackers or threats.
As an avid social media user, I feel there are potential steps that can be taken to help secure your account. As discussed above, switching your account to private is a definite first step in protecting privacy. Hackers won’t be able to access your account as easily, and this will keep your posts more private. Also, making sure you have a secure password. I can’t tell you how many times I have heard horror stories of people’s accounts getting hacked. Also, limit the amount of friend requests. I am guilty of not always doing this, but make sure you only allow people that you truly know to follow you. Often with these fake accounts people are pretending to be others and will try and contact you. By being more cautious online it will protect your privacy. Its important users are aware of this because sadly exposing your privacy all over the internet can damage you or lead to dangerous situations which may be hard to avoid. One day when I become a parent social media use is going to be very limited and heavily monitored by me. I hope eventually, social media will become regulated and protected so users can utilize its positives rather than the constant fear of others invading their privacy.
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