Saving Face

Tips for a safe Facebook experience

Most college students know better than to post private information on Facebook. But some of the safety issues the site presents aren’t so obvious. For example, if you write your phone number on a friend’s wall, you could be handing it out to everyone in his or her network. It’s like giving your roommate a sip of your drink, only to learn that he just shared a water bottle with half the basketball team.

These tips can help Facebook users—both young people and adults—stay safe.

1. Avoid posting your address or phone number anywhere on the site.

2. Remember to log off of Facebook in public computer labs so the next user can’t access your account.

3. Use Facebook’s privacy options to restrict users who aren’t your friends from accessing your profile. Keep in mind, this still doesn’t ensure that no one else will see your information. All it takes is someone standing over your friend’s shoulder while he or she reads your wall.

4. Be careful about who you accept as a “Facebook friend.” It might seem harmless to accept a random person because they look cute or have a funny name, but do you really want this person to see everything you post?

5. When posting status information (what you are currently doing), avoid being too specific or you could invite stalkers. Also, don’t post your (class) schedule. It advertises when you will and will not be home.

Nicole Adamson