Found a new girlfriend or boyfriend? Share. Had a blast on vacation? Share. Cooked a tasty dinner? Share. Got a new passport? Share. Share. Share. Is this routine familiar to you? If so, be very careful: you might well be oversharing.
This kind of behavior is typical of young people who have grown up with computers, proliferating technology and emerging social networks. Thanks to their urge to share every detail of their lives, they have been dubbed the "Selfie" or "Me, Me, Me" generation.
However, many of them do not realize that giving away too much information online can have serious consequences. According to a Microsoft poll from 2013, financial damage because of reputational harm worldwide has reached as much as $1.4 billion. If professional reputationis considered, the numbers were even higher, amounting to$4.6 billion.
Such dataleaks can easily lead to trouble, ranging from personalized phishing emails or loss of social network account access to identity theft and extortion by cybercriminals. But don't worry: we've got you covered.
Here are a few tips to help you limit your oversharing routine:
โข Start by reviewing your privacy settings for your existing social network accounts. Be sure that things you are sharing reach only the eyes of those intended.
โข Do not share your location with the whole world. Social networks often geotag users, but do you really want everyone to know where you currently hang out,or that you just left for vacation and won't be home for the next two weeks?
