The Pitfalls of Facebook: How to Avoid Them

Facebook has numerous benefits that stretch from personal networking to building a business. However, Facebook also has a dark side, one that can injure your appearance and deter any progress you've made in whatever interest you're pursuing through your page. The positives that make social media sites like Facebook so popular and useful can often come back to bite you if you don't take precaution into what you do and say on your page or someone else's. An even scarier aspect of Facebook comes in the form of the things you can't control. If you want to keep ahead of any possible problems that may arise through your use of Facebook, then think your actions through and take the time to properly input privacy settings.

The most common pitfall in Facebook comes through the posts and pictures you yourself put up. One such mistake is to post something up that you only want a select group to see and end up having the whole world see it anyway. For example, if you're a rebellious teenager still living with your parents and put up an invitation on Facebook for a house party that you want to have when your parents are gone, there may be a chance you forget that one of your many Facebook friends is actually a family member who then finds out and sells you out to your parents (oops). So, make sure you check and double-check who can see what you post if you want to keep something secret.

Then, there are the things you can't control on social media, which can end up being your worst nightmare. With the astounding number of people on sites like Facebook, you're almost hard-pressed to find someone who doesn't have a page. So, through Facebook, other users can post pictures of themselves and friends at any time and any place. If a friend of yours tags you on a picture you're in, and this picture is embarrassing or something you don't want to be shown, then your humiliation is visible to everyone. Make sure to choose wisely when asked if you want to be tagged in a photo and take detrimental pictures off your page if you must.

These common problems on Facebook occur frequently, but luckily there's an easy solution. Change your Facebook settings to your liking, so that only the people you want to view your page are the ones who can.