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YouTube, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, Meta, WhatsApp and TikTok.
It is likely that you not only recognise these social media platforms but use them in personal, academic and/or professional ways.
If you are using these platforms, are you maximising their features? Are you aware of your settings in terms of privacy, security and access to personal data? And what is your social media footprint and persona as seen by others (that is, employers)? This resource provides additional information to Griffith University's Social media guide.
This information was developed from content provided by Queensland University of Technology. Their contribution is gratefully acknowledged.
Manage your online identity
Social media can be a great way of making yourself stand out so that you can land a job or gain influence in your field. Just like companies need to maintain their public image and protect their brand - so do you! Don't forget that what you say and do online carries the same weight as if it occurred in the real world. Your online identity affects you, so shape it in your favour.
You might think that posting a photo, making a comment or liking something online is harmless, but that post or like might come back to haunt you down the track. How will you explain that unflattering photo or derogatory blog post at a job interview? Social media content created years ago can easily be retrieved.
One of the tricky aspects of social media is the increasing blurriness between personal and professional boundaries.
Popular social networking sites, such as Meta, expect you to use your real name when creating an account. So any information about you, positive or negative, can be found in a few clicks.
Crafting your online identity will be defined by the services you decide to use - for example, there is a limit to how much information you can fit into an X profile. Decide what information is most important for you to present.
Consider how your postings and photos give meaning and direction to the story that you want people and prospective employers to know about you. Make your personal Instagram, Meta and TikTok private unless you are extremely professional, and make sure you shine on LinkedIn!
Check out Griffith University's Social media guide.
When you finish your degree, you will be one of many graduates applying for a job. If you want to stand out from the crowd, create an online resume using a professional social media site such as LinkedIn to showcase your education, experience and talent.
With an online resume, you can capitalise on networks that may not be as easy to access in your offline interactions. These networks include CEOs , professionals in your field, recruiters, and other key influencers who you would not normally get to meet.
An online resume is more than just a scanned copy of your paper resume. Highlight your skills and include hyperlinks to demonstrate your:
- creative thinking
- competence with information and communication technologies
- ability to think outside the box
- initiative and innovation.
Learn how to create an online resume at Careers and Employment.
Social media interaction during the workday can help boost productivity and retention.
Depending on your job, you might use social media for:
- marketing and promoting your business/yourself
- communicating with your colleagues or clients
- researching your competitors
- following experts in your field.
To make social media work for you, it’s important to know the purpose of each social networking tool and the different communication styles required. Depending on the platform being used, there may be different standards of communication. On X, it may be acceptable 4 ppl 2 tlk lyk dis while on LinkedIn you may need to talk like this.
Many industries and disciplines have policies that govern how employees use social media in their personal and professional lives. Check if your employer or industry has social media guidelines before you use social media in the workplace. Separate your private social media from your employment channels. Always check before posting anything about work on your personal feeds.
Check out Griffith University's Social media guide.
Protect your data
As your Internet and social media interactions increase, so should your attention to protecting your data and personal information. Cybercriminals use a variety of strategies to obtain personal information, such as phishing and the use of malware.
The best way to protect your identity and data is to limit what you share online. You should also:
Protect yourself from malicious viruses, or malware, by updating your computer software regularly. Although it may feel like it, updates are not designed to make your life difficult - they are necessary to improve software features, compatibility across devices and, importantly, to add security features. It’s easy to do and the implications can be great. In fact, make it easy on yourself and turn on automatic updates.
One way to keep your personal and financial information safe online is to have a different password for each site.
With so many sites that require you to login with a password, how do you keep track of all them? One easy way to remember all your passwords is to create a master password that is a combination of letters and numbers e.g. mpie2r (which is an acronym for ‘my password is easy to remember’). Then modify the master password for each site. So, your password for Pinterest might be mpie2rpin while your password for Tumblr might be mpie2rtum.
Spend a few extra minutes creating a secure password that will deter hackers. The safety of your personal and financial information is well worth the effort. When logging into Griffith accounts you are required to use multifactor authentication. Think about using multifactor authentication to protect your Meta and other social media accounts.
Learn more about Password management.
Privacy is becoming an increasingly valuable commodity. You may not think of online privacy in the same way as privacy in the real world, but it’s just as important. Disclosing information in an online thread or conversation may seem harmless, but that information is available to more than just your chosen friends.
Applying strict privacy settings on sites such as Meta is better than having a completely public profile. This guide gives you information on where to set your privacy settings, how to protect your personal information and report harmful content for social media, games, sites and apps. Even still, regardless of the settings you set, anyone with access to the information can take a screenshot and share private information publicly.
Data mining and data tracking is another aspect of online privacy worth thinking about. Ever seen advertisements for items you’ve been browsing on other sites? This happens because websites use data tracking and cookies to target advertising to consumers. You can maintain your online security and privacy by remaining vigilant around what you search, open and download.
Avoid clicking hyperlinks and downloading attachments from unknown people and organisations. According to the Australian Governments CyberCrime unit, businesses that are frequently impersonated include banks, utilities, telecommunications and government departments.
Warning signs include:
- typos or grammatical errors in message
- request for personal details, such as bank account information
- being asked to click a link for more information.
Protect your data by:
- avoiding public wi-fi hotspots while undertaking personal tasks such as banking
- locking your computer when it is left unattended
- regularly delete your cookies
- ensuring you are on a secure page when entering payment information
- regularly deleting cookies.
Stay cyber safe, learn more at Cyber security.
Keep safe online
People are spending a significant portion of their day on social media, which constitutes a large part of their overall time online. Several studies have reported the negative impacts of social media use such as loss of sleep, decreased physical activity, and difficulty focusing (Barton et al., 2021; Goodyear et al., 2021).
Social media can both aid and obstruct learning for students. On one hand, it can provide a platform for collaboration, discussion, and social connectivity; however, excessive use can lead to distractions, decreased productivity, and even mental health issues. It is important to strike a balance in social media usage and explore strategies and tools that can help you manage online time effectively.
Cyberbullying is repeated and targeted abuse using technological tools such as social media, texts or emails. This can include hurtful messages or videos, excluding others online, malicious gossip and identity theft.
If you're feeling harassed and distressed as a victim of bullying:
- Resist the impulse to respond.
- Talk to someone you trust, or contact Griffith's Counselling service. You can report it with the eSafety Commissioner.
- Block the bully, change your privacy settings, and report inappropriate content to the relevant social media platform.
- Collect evidence of the bullying by taking a screenshot of the messages, posts, or photos.
If you are aware or witness online bullying, do not remain a bystander. You can report a concern at Griffith or with the eSafety Commissioner.
Trolling is slightly different, it is when a user anonymously abuses or intimidates others online for fun. They purposely post inflammatory statements, not as a way to bully or harass other people, but to watch the reactions.
Trolls are fed by engagement and conversation. They can be found on website comments voicing an inflammatory or controversial view. Responses include:
- Learn to ignore them. They are not here for debate - they're fishing for responses.
- Don’t share or like images or videos of real people being humiliated. Don’t give trolls an audience.
- If you are aware of trolling you can report a concern at Griffith or with the eSafety Commissioner.
Stay cyber safe, learn more at Cyber security.
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