Having made my fair share of privacy blunders, I can tell you that while social media is great for connecting with friends and family, it also comes with its own set of risks. Here are six privacy mistakes I’ve made on social media—and how you can avoid them.
1 Accepting Friend Requests from Strangers
One of the biggest privacy mistakes I made early on was accepting friend requests from strangers. At the time, it seemed harmless—after all, what’s the worst that could happen?
However, it became concerning when some of these strangers began tagging me in random posts and sending me suspicious links. I also noticed one of them commenting on my personal posts, where I was sharing details about my family, places I’d visited, and even pictures of my dog. Suddenly, it felt like this person knew far more about my life than they should have.
That’s when it hit me: most of the steps I took to make my social media profile more private would be meaningless if I kept adding strangers to my friends list. Now, I’m much more cautious. Before accepting any friend request, I verify if I know the person, review their profile, and examine their activity. If anything seems off, I either ignore or report the request.
2 Sharing Location and Life Updates in Real Time
I used to be the person who couldn’t wait to share every moment as it happened—whether I was enjoying a fancy dinner, exploring a new city on vacation, or rocking out at a concert. It felt exciting, but little did I know, I was giving away much more than just a snapshot of my life; I was exposing my exact location in real-time.
The wake-up call came when I encountered news articles about burglars using social media to target people who were out for the night or on a holiday. It dawned on me that if it could happen to them, it could just as easily happen to me. That was the moment I truly realized the risks I was taking.
Now, instead of posting in real time, I wait until I’m home to upload photos or share stories. This simple change not only helps keep my current whereabouts private but also gives me the same pleasure.
3 Clicking on Suspicious Links
Another blunder I made on social media was clicking on suspicious links, often without a second thought. It’s the classic trap—something catches your eye, like an offer, a sensational headline, or even a message from someone asking, “Is this you in this video?”. The thrill of curiosity or the hope of a reward can easily cloud our judgment.
One such incident occurred while I was scrolling through my X (Twitter) feed. A tweet from what appeared to be a legit account promised a giveaway—an exclusive deal for a popular product if I clicked a link and entered my details. Caught up in the excitement, I didn’t pause to think critically. The next day, I found my email inbox flooded with newsletters I never signed up for, suspicious offers, and even emails that resembled phishing attempts.
Since then, I’ve made it a point to actively avoid clicking links that promise unrealistic rewards or urgent action. Another thing I’ve learned is to hover over a link before clicking to see where it’s actually directing me. If the URL looks strange or unfamiliar, I steer clear of it. And when it comes to giveaways or any “too-good-to-be-true” offers, I remind myself that they often are.
We’ve all seen them—those irresistible social media quizzes that promise to reveal your true self or the fun challenges that invite you to post a silly photo from your past. I used to dive headfirst into these, convinced they were just harmless fun.
One of the quizzes I remember participating in was titled “Which Disney Character Are You?”. What I didn’t realize at the time was that many of these social media quizzes are data-mining tools, designed to gather personal information.
It wasn’t until a friend mentioned how her “fun” quiz ended up leading to targeted ads in her email inbox that I began to question my own quiz habits. This incident made me reflect on how easy it is to share too much. I started to realize that even seemingly innocuous quizzes can reveal patterns about my life, interests, and personal habits that I’d rather keep private.
5 Ignoring Password Changes and 2FA
In my early days of social media, I blissfully ignored the importance of strong passwords and two-factor authentication (2FA). Like many others, I often used the same password across multiple platforms, thinking, “What are the chances of getting hacked?”.
However, a few months ago, I received a notification about a login attempt to my Instagram account from halfway across the world. At that moment, I realized I had been using the same password for my Instagram, Facebook, and even my email all these years, and how dangerous that could be.
Thankfully, the login attempt wasn’t successful, and no harm was done, but it served as my wake-up call. I immediately delved into the security settings of all my accounts, changing passwords and enabling 2FA wherever I could.
6 Neglecting Privacy Controls on Social Media Posts and Profiles
While setting up my accounts on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, I never took the time to manage my privacy options; I was too eager to dive in and start posting. However, a particular incident opened my eyes when I was scrolling through my feed and stumbled upon the profile of a friend of a friend.
Intrigued, I clicked on their profile, only to be shocked by the amount of personal information I could see. This person wasn’t on my friends’ list, yet I could access their phone number, email address, photos, and even see who they followed.
This made me think twice about the visibility of my posts and the details I was sharing with the world. I’ve now restricted my posts to “Friends Only” and limited my profile visibility to prevent strangers from accessing my personal information. I also make it a habit to check my Facebook privacy settings regularly, especially after any platform updates.
Looking back, I wish I had never made these mistakes while using social media, but we all learn through experience. Hopefully, you can learn from mine and take proactive steps to protect your privacy. Remember, a little awareness can go a long way.
