Having been raised an Eagle Scout I follow the Scout Law daily. It starts out with “A Scout is trustworthy.” If only social media could learn the same. The concern of one’s privacy on social media keeps increasing all the time.
In today’s society, social media, like Facebook, has become an everyday tool for many people. According to eMarketer, “The US social network audience is big—172.6 million people in 2014, or 54% of the population and 68.6% of internet users. Based on June 2014 research by Harris Interactive for WP Engine, many of those users are likely worried about privacy on such platforms.”
What is there to worry about? Hackers are a big concern, as no one likes having their personal information stolen or compromised. The other big worry is stalkers, Internet predators, or Internet bullies which sadly is becoming more and more the norm of today.
So you might think that it’s older people who are more worried than younger people about their social media’s security. You would be right, but only slightly, and not enough to ignore this concern. According to eMarketer, a May 2014 study by Rad Campaign, Lincoln Park Strategies, and craigconnects’ found that, “One-third of internet users ages 55 to 64 said they didn’t trust social media sites, while just 1% did, with a similar trend among the 65-and-older group. Meanwhile, 24% of 35- to 54-year-olds didn’t trust social networks, compared with 6% who said the opposite. The under-35 bracket was the only one where those who trusted social media outnumbered those who didn’t—but by a small gap of 4 points (16% vs. 12%).”
So, to me, it sounds like Social Media needs to go up to their room and think hard about what they’ve done, or it’s bedtime with no dessert.
