Is Getting More Followers Really the Goal?

So I have been mildly obsessed (all right completely obsessed) with Pinterest lately. Pinterest is a website/social network where you can post images from sites/blogs/etc. My page looks like this…

If you like, you can follow me here, though I admit I have not figured out how to post any security/technology related pins. This for me is purely a fun and creative page for me.

For me, the site is much like flipping through a magazine. You can see all of the “Pins” that your friends have posted. You can link it to your other social networks to find friends and you can follow bloggers and personalities you admire. I enjoy it because it gives me a very visual way to keep track of all the fun things I find online, like visual bookmarks.

There is one thing that has been on my mind lately as I use social networks like this one.  Why can’t I choose who can follow me? I can create an alias on Pinterest, but I chose to link mine to my Facebook page so I could share on Facebook and find my real friends. Privacy settings are nonexistent as far as I can tell on the site. Google+ and Twitter allow anyone to follow me. Facebook allows “subscribers” unless you opt-out of that feature. 

For businesses, having followers is a marketing must these days. But as a parent, this “my life is an open book” trend in social media has me concerned. I don’t really want every person in cyberspace being my friend on Facebook, so I have kept my privacy settings very strict. But as I join other sites and with recent changes to Facebook, I have been very concerned about whom I am sharing with when I log on to a site. As a parent, I think it is imperative to know what sites my kids are using and have an idea of how they can protect themselves on those sites.

How do I keep up with what my kids are doing?

What has worked for me is having conversations with my teens on almost a daily basis. We chat in the car and at the dinner table about the latest things we have found on the “interwebs”.

For them it might be a fun game or video, but for me I use the time to mention new sites and what I see as the privacy concerns.

When I get a new “follower” I might mention it if they are in the room by saying something like “Oh look a new follower – Wow, I have no idea who that is or how they found me.”

Then we might discuss how I handle that. If it is a facebook request I tell them that I have refused the request. On Google +, I show them how I have a “circle” called “No idea who they are” and one called “acquaintances” and how I am careful to select what groups see my post.

This kind of dialog has helped me to teach my kids how to keep their use of social networks in perspective. They are lots of fun and great for keeping in touch with friends, but they are online. I want my kids to always remember to stay safe and protect themselves and their identity online. A little awareness goes a long way I think.

Stay safe out there!

Tracy

@McAfeeCyberMom on Twitter

Tags: cybermom, Facebook Security, good parenting, monitor a child’s identity, online child safety, social media, social networking, twitter

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