Facebook logoRecently Facebook announced that it has removed the option to be unsearchable by name. While a lot of folks were gasping and chattering about this, others simply yawned. I’m guessing most were more bewildered than anything else.

How important is this? TechCrunch writer Josh Constine says what it does is highlight the lack of universal privacy controls on Facebook.

Here’s what I think: If something is private, don’t post it on social media.

Social media strategyIt doesn’t get any simpler than that.

Many years ago, I wrote an article on business ethics. One of the experts I interviewed said that if you would be embarrassed to have something you were thinking about doing published on the front page of the newspaper, you shouldn’t do it.

Of course, a lot fewer people are reading newspapers these days, but I still think that’s a pretty good rule to follow when it comes to what you post on social media. If you don’t want the world to know it, don’t post it on whatever social media platform you use. If it’s private, keep it private. And no matter what sort of privacy settings the various social media platforms provide, the reality is that once you put something out there, it’s out there – you can’t get it back. (Remember, social media sites are not immune to hacking.)

I see a lot of stories about the importance of teaching kids about social media safety, and I agree with them. But the Gen-Xers and Baby Boomers need to heed those same lessons.

Am I being too simplistic in my approach to social media sense? Share your thoughts.

Jacquelyn Lynn
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