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• The Internet and You:

Is it safe to post a profile on social networking sites like Facebook?

Many young people think the information they post on web sites such as MySpace, Facebook, blogs, or other “online communities” will only be seen by their friends. But, often, this is not the case.

Anything you post online—even if it’s in a “private” area—can be seen by almost anyone, including your parents/guardians, your teachers, bosses, and strangers, some of whom could be dangerous. Info you type in a private area can always be copied and pasted to a public space.

For this reason, you should be very careful about what information you should post. Even information that seems harmless, such as where you went to dinner last night, could be used by a stranger to find you.

Before setting up a social networking profile, discuss what you plan to do with a parent or guardian.

Be aware that some social networking sites have a minimum age.

If you have set up a Facebook page for yourself, make sure you set your privacy settings to only allow your friends to see your information and photos. Otherwise, anybody will be able to access your page. Keep in mind, though, that this does not always mean that other people can’t see your page – some people hack into pages to obtain private information.

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