Privacy concerns on social media

Social media is the need of our ever-growing society but to have access to content to such an extent that one’s privacy is revealed to any and everyone – that is certainly a cause for concern.

Social networks cater to such minute details of our private lives. The revelations remain private, yet are stored and registered, and vulnerable to any security lapses in the future. That’s why I think social networks are a much better choice for those who actually make good use of it and know their way around it. At the same time, the best way to maintain our privacy is by not sharing content with those who try to misuse these technological advances.

Encrypted apps like WhatsApp, and twitter may be the best means of becoming social online while keeping our information confidential, but simultaneously, these networks allow for antisocial elements to be private too, and so, can become a source of threat to the security and defence policies of a country. In my opinion, such apps should not be made public but should be used only by the intelligence agencies of a country for safety and security purposes.

Another issue we see with social networks is that a majority of tech-savvy people seem to fear their superiors at work may judge them based on their social media activity. I think the main reason for this fear is that most people do not show their true selves to their colleagues and bosses, and so, it is important for them to use encrypted sites, which are safe and do not reveal their identity to all.

Social media should be used constructively and productively. But when people misuse it, and it becomes a major threat to society, that’s when the real trouble begins.

The reader is the principal of a nursery, in Dubai