15 Things to Avoid on Facebook ...

Posting discriminating photos of yourself is one of the major things to avoid on Facebook. It may seem like a good idea to have a cute profile picture from your last spring break or yesterday evening at the club, but the truth is this: discriminating photos on your Facebook can get you into more trouble than you can imagine. There is the potential that you could lose your job or be turned down for one, and of course any nude or partially nude photos of yourself not only open the door for stalkers or harassment, but you could be reported and denied access to any future involvement with Facebook.

May seem like a no-brainer, but you would be surprised at how many people have posted pictures of their drivers license, marriage certificate, even credit cards! Watch out for accidentally capturing these items in the backgrounds of photos too. Any personal info such as addresses, phone numbers, social security numbers, bank account info, or credit card numbers should be carefully kept of off Facebook for your own safety!

There’s a great risk to announcing when you will be gone from your home and for how long. You may trust all your Facebook friends, but that doesn’t mean someone you don’t know will not see your posts. I’m guilty of this as most of us are, but it’s something to be extra cautious about. Many homes that are robbed get robbed while the homeowners are away on vacations.

If you have a loved one in the military, do not EVER mention military related info on your page! The main things to watch out for are deployment departure or deployment homecoming dates, specific training exercise details or dates, and base-related information or layout. Enemies of the military can report or access this information and cause lots of trouble for your loved one. When in doubt about what’s ok to post, just ask! The military member in question should know protocol.

Here’s another one I’m guilty of, but it still remains true that we should carefully tiptoe around this matter! Posting your location or tagging yourself at a public place not only alerts any nearby stalkers or harassers of where you are (and possibly who you are with), but it alerts people that you are not at home. So you run two great risks when you post your location! Use your own discretion, but be cautious no matter what.

This may sound strange, but posting your mother’s maiden name can be dangerous for you! Think about it: many emails, bank accounts, or other websites with your personal info often ask the security question “What is your mothers maiden name?” If you post this info to your Facebook, it becomes easier for hackers to break in and take over your personal accounts.

We all post the status proclaiming our “rights” to post what we like on our Facebook from time to time. While this is true, you should be very careful posting any threatening statuses. Especially anything concerning president or government issues, because these can be considered national threats. I would even advice to avoid trash talking your boss or co-workers, as these statuses can be seen by your employers even if you’re not friends. And never, ever brag about something such as dining and dashing, or shoplifting, because authorities of the law can also see these statuses.

How many of us leave our profile page open and unblocked to those we aren’t friends with? Maybe it hasn’t occurred to you, but this is a good way to invite trouble along for the ride. If you want to keep your privacy intact, then go set your profile as “private.” This means only those you are friends with can see your info and pictures!

One of the downfalls of social media is miscommunication and confusion. After all we can't really interpret the whole message fully without looking at people's body language and facial expressions. That is why you should avoid arguments over facebook completely. Without solving the issue face to face, facebook can turn sarcasm into something offensive leading to broken relationships and hurt feelings. Instead wait to talk about your problems through real life contact and avoid miscommunication.

I think I'll be speaking on the behalf of more than half facebook users saying that NO, we will not play candy crush with you! The constant invites to play games are really pointless and bothersome because it just fills up our notifications and distracts us for no reason . So please, avoid sending game invites to those who never answer them, and stick with those people who share your interests in the game app.

We all have those moments when we need to vent on our problems and let the feelings out, but facebook might not be the best place to do that. It's the same thing as climbing a tower and screaming out your problems on the top of your lungs. Everyone will know your business and most likely they will judge you on your decisions. So unless you want your issues to go public, resort to speaking to a friend or writing your feelings out on a paper.

Remember that when you gossip about people and judge their actions, it is you who is condemned and looked down upon by other people no matter how wrong and disrespectful the other person was. Your 'friends' on facebook don't know the background story, so they will only be left with the impression that you bad mouth people around you. So no matter how justified your claims may be, avoid giving the impression of being a bad person to others.

Just like you wouldn't want to be fooled by people on facebook, don't deceive others with your pictures or personal information. There have already been so many catfish stories of people presenting themselves as someone they are not, so don't give other people the wrong idea of who you are. That means don't lie about your life style, don't post over-photoshopped pictures and don't try to form a facade of a person that you want to be.

Once something negative is displayed on social media, there is no way to hide it and most likely it will always come back to bite you. So no matter how tempted you might feel to express how unfair your superiors are, stay clear of social media. I have personally been a witness to teachers and bosses finding inappropriate comments about them made by their students and workers, and let's just say things didn't go so well for those who made the hurtful posts on impulse.

It seems obvious not to accept stranger's friend requests right? We have always been taught to stay clear of unfamiliar faces in real life, but we failed to realize that that also applies to social media. You don't want strangers to study your life and know your where-abouts. Therefore don't make it easier for them to stalk your life by adding them as friends and instead make your account private!

These are just a few things to be wary of on Facebook. In today’s society, you can never be too careful. It’s nice to know that we have the freedom to socially express ourselves, just know that other people have the freedom to take your private information and use it to their advantage. What things to you generally try to avoid on Facebook?