Self Disclosure and Social Networking

After reading the article "Social Networking: Are we revealing too much?", it makes you think a lot about how you are showing yourself in the Internet, and most important, to whom you are providing all your information.

When I read it I was thinking about myself, and that is so true. I have people on my facebook and on my tuenti (the Spanish version of Facebook) that I did not see in forever. A lot of my high school classmates, for instance, I do not see them since graduation, 6 years ago; however, I still have them on facebook as my friends and they can see every movement that I make in my life. I just know about them whatever they posted online, that could be true or not. And also, a lot of them, I did barely talk to them in high school because they where in the other section or because we were not compatibles at that time.

Also, I have a lot of friends that could be dangerous because I do not know who is behind them. I am referring to the ones as associations, organizations, or different things that I added on there. One example could be Rider Bronc. Who is behind the Rider Bronc facebook? It could be a criminal or , even, being really dramatical a serial killer. And guess what? Thanks to facebook he or she is able to stalk mostly all Rider students´ facebook, and that could create an obsession for someone that provoke a crime, in some different ways.

Moreover, about my self disclosure on the Internet.... While I am communicating through the Internet, I do not curse (Spaniards curse a lot while we are speaking) and I am much loving in my messages. I´d rather say "sweetheart" in a message than personally. Also, on the Internet you are able to see my general "me" but you are not able to know how I feel most of the time or what my thoughts are about some topic. Also, I won´t talk about people, because the message could be misunderstood and also, it is going to last forever, and I could be sending to someone who can have a different opinion about that person and create a conflict. Another issue is that I don´t use Internet to show someone that I am not, in the Internet I am as I am in my real life: sociable, responsible, love diversity, love being around people,...

Relating Internet and safety, I would never post when I am on holidays or that my house is all alone, as well as I would never use this "four squares" app for mobile devices that you check in places in order to know where you are in every moment. Although I do not post information when I am gone for holidays, I always update my status saying that I am in the United States or in Spain, in order to let my friends that I arrive or that I am leaving.