Being Safe Online

Mike Doughty, February ‘25 Newsletter

I know I have talked a lot in the past about staying safe, and I believe I have touched on this topic at least a little bit when talking about relationships, but I felt it important to dive back into some ways to stay safe while being online. Being online has become such a big part of our lives that we sometimes forget that there are potential risks– falling for a scam, posting too much information, or someone trying to take advantage of you. Even if you know what to look out for, it’s also important to check in with those you are close to and make sure that they also know at least some ways to stay safe.

First, it is important to know what information you are putting out there about yourself and who can see it. Any information on your profile could be used by someone either pretending to be you in the case of scammers or use that information to act like they know things about you. If you have your information visible, are you comfortable with who can see it? If your account is private, and you have to approve who follows you on social media, that can give you a little bit more control on that front. Also, do regular purges of your friend lists – are there people you don’t know or remember why you followed them? Do you not talk to this person, or does what they post about rub you the wrong way or bother you? If so, unfriend them or unfollow them, or if needed block them. Also, when you see a new follower or friend request, look at the account and see if they feel like a bot account. A lot of bot accounts often have few or zero posts, and an incredibly high amount of accounts they follow but very few followers themselves. If you know someone just made a new account and is maybe setting it up, that’s one thing, but they would probably have a follower/following ratio that is much closer than what a bot account often has.

Next up is remembering that while the internet can be a great place to get information or to unwind and escape for a bit, there are also a lot of misinformation and stressors. The current culture of the internet is a lot of rapid fire news with big attention grabbing headlines. It is very easy to get wrapped up in the spectacle of it all and not dig deeper. What are other sources saying about this topic? Do those accounts match? Who is saying it and do they have ulterior motives to promote a certain spin on a story? The internet is a place where many companies get a lot of money from views and clicks and ad space, and they will almost always prioritize profit over what is right. Talk to people you trust, look up the topic with different sources, or even exchange your phone with a friend to see what might be different in your algorithms. Also, if you get hateful comments, remove or hide them, block the account and do not engage. Troll posts are often from people who are not even in your community or are fully blank accounts because they use the anonymity of the internet to let themselves feel emboldened to say things they are too afraid to say in public. Doing this work can help give you the mental tools to recognize when something might not be as truthful or correct as they are claiming. This can also help give you skills to prevent doom-scrolling, where you get stuck looking at one terrible thing and then another and another and fall into a depressive headspace. If you feel yourself getting pulled into that kind of cycle, do what you can to make yourself put your phone down or walk away from your computer and give your mind a rest.

Lastly, remember to take care of yourself! If you are talking with a new person online, be aware of potential red flags. If you have not met them or seen them on camera or if you don’t have someone in your life that you know that can vouch for them, then remember that you don’t know them, you know the persona that they put on for you. Now that is not to say you cannot have healthy and impactful internet relationships, but they take just the same amount of work as in-person relationships with being vulnerable, learning about each other, respecting boundaries. If someone messages you asking for money, or saying they are some famous person they are not looking to respect you and build with you, they are looking to get something out of you. Say no, don’t respond, block/report them, whatever feels best to you, but don’t linger on them either. Focus on the friends and good places you go to when you are online and grow those bonds. Keep in touch with the people who put in the effort and check in and make sure they are also doing okay, especially with all the chaos in the world right now.

The internet can be fun and wonderful and has joy and positives in it, but we all have to be more vigilant to call out misinformation, let folks know about fake accounts or bots or scams, and keep each other safe. The internet is a community just like any other, and it will grow and fluctuate depending on how it gets taken care of, but it will take work to make sure people stay safe and well-informed.