Get this. A new study says that your Facebook status updates are more memorable to people today than carefully crafted lines from a book. If that’s not proof that social media exposure has real impact and an insanely long shelf-life, I don’t know what is.
A team of psychologists from the University of California published their research in the academic journal “Memory and Cognition.” They collected hundreds of Facebook posts from undergraduate research assistants and the same number of random phrases from recently published books sold on Amazon.
They made sure that the specific context was taken out so that the status updates and book excerpts stood completely on their own. Study participants were asked to memorize them. As it turns out, those Facebook statuses we throw up all willy-nilly stick with a person 1.5 times more than the words written by published authors.
Facebook’s Graph Search launch this week sent every online privacy expert to new levels of alarm, and with good reason. Although Facebook has tried to address these concerns, if you read the fine print, there’s still reason to worry about online privacy protection. Let’s debunk three falsehoods that are currently circulating about Graph Search:
Myth 1: You can’t be found if parts of your profile are set to private
Facebook says that any other user can find you through Graph Search, with the exception of those who you have blocked. They don’t even have to be friends with you. So much for social media privacy. More than 160 million active Facebook users in the United States alone could find you. Unless you’ve blocked a good portion Facebook (why not just delete your profile at that point?), you’ll still appear in a search, even if you’ve limited the specific aspects of your profile that can be seen.
Facebook has decided to index your private information and make it searchable by a wide range of people you probably didn’t envision as your audience when you originally posted. Unfortunately, this list includes identity thieves, stalkers, phishers, fraudsters and your ex-partner.
Whenever you log onto Facebook these days, your news feed is likely to be littered with announcements of every variety, political rants, links to news stories and those “repost this on 10 of your friends’ walls” threads.
Between those posts are ones in which your friends reach out to their friends to ask for advice. For example:
“Does anyone know a good wedding photographer?”
“What are the best Italian restaurants in Boston’s North End?”
“Just got Netflix and looking for new shows to watch. Any recommendations?”
There are absolutely good sides to Facebook and social networking. They engage people in ways that they aren’t engaged otherwise. As your children experience that moment of euphoria that comes from these new connections, use their enthusiasm to start a conversation about what is appropriate online and what isn’t. The more you get involved, the safer they will be.
What are your questions? Let me know if the comments box below. Who knows, your question might appear next on AskSileo!
When we talk about ourselves, it is scientifically proven that we get mini hits of a natural drug called dopamine. It makes us feel better and because of that, it is addictive. Facebook, and social media are all about talking about ourselves. Why does Facebook have 1 Billion users? Because they have an addictive business model, and we are it’s test subjects.
What are your questions? Let me know if the comments box below. Who knows, your question might appear next on AskSileo!
AskSileo Episode 3: How long should I spend setting up Facebook’s privacy and security settings?
If you haven’t spent at least 90 minutes with your child setting up their Facebook account, you can be pretty certain that they are not as protected as they should be. Here are the three most important security steps that will make your child much safer on social media:
If your child is old enough (if they are following the 13 and older rule, they are old enough) have them read through Facebook’s Data Use Policy, taking notes on what they learn. There is nothing like reading it for themselves to get them to care about what they are exposing to the world.
What are your questions? Let me know if the comments box below. Who knows, your question might appear next on AskSileo!
In this world of hyperconnectivity, online privacy management is not prioritized highly enough by most people.
The number of individuals we send digital messages to on the holidays likely far exceeds the number we would take the time to send traditional greeting cards. Facebook thought up a way to make this more convenient for users, so they wouldn't miss half the New Year's Eve festivities by working overtime typing out messages to friends and family.
But, with all things good, watch out for the bad. Midnight Delivery is a service that the social media site offered users so they could write New Year's warm wishes in advance to whomever they chose. They would then be automatically delivered when the clock struck midnight in their respective time zones.
Undoubtedly, our kids face social pressure and pay a penalty if they decide to not be on Facebook. They are often accused of not being cool, feel left out of social events and updates that are no longer communicated in person and are looked at differently (out of touch) for choosing to not join the masses.
I want to hear about the social pressures your kids have faced! Share with us in the comments below.
When online privacy baffles even Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's sister, there should be a collective "aha moment" on the Web.
Earlier this week, Randi Zuckerberg posted a family picture to her own Facebook page that she thought would remain private. It did not. Someone tweeted a copy of that photo to the world, to which Randi replied that it was "way uncool." The Zuck's sister, who was once the company's marketing director, sent another tweet saying that this was not a matter of privacy settings, but of "human decency."
Perhaps, instead, it is about a massive lack of understanding in the world today about what online privacy is and how to protect it. Even if you post a picture to Facebook for friends only, someone can right-click-save-as and post that image on any website or social media platform they so choose. You would think that everyone in the Zuckerberg clan would be aware of that.
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