A total stranger knows your birthday, hometown, where you work, what TV shows you watch, and even who you are dating. How do they get all of this information? Surprisingly the answer is not identity theft or stalking, but social media. Users need to be more careful with what they put online, especially with the access to social media provided today.

With new technologies that automatically post photos to Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, people can get a play by play of each other’s lives without ever talking. These new technologies give users easy access to social media, and users need to be careful of what they put online.

Beyond the fact that over enthusiastic users basically provide information that would be any stalker’s dream, anyone who feels the need to know this much detail about anyone’s life probably hears it directly from that person, not the social media site.

People have constant access to social media, and it is becoming easier and easier to instantly post online. This trend has become more and more apparent as companies develop technologies that document a person’s every move. The Memoto Camera and Google Glass are both wearable cameras/recording devices that can be programmed to routinely take photos. Both devices are wearable apparatuses that take photos or videos while the user is wearing them, and developers are working on ways users can post them to social media without being connected to a computer.

With access to social media becoming more readily available, users need to be careful with what they post online, as these new technologies are further breaking down the line between public and private.

People need to realize that there is a line between public and personal, and that line should not be crossed. Social media sites do have real uses, such as keeping in contact with friends across the country, sharing photos from trips, or organizing events, but it is not meant to be a diary for users’ every thought.

Especially with potential employers and universities now checking social media, users need to be careful about what they make available to the public eye. Illegal activity is not the only thing to consider when deciding whether a post is appropriate for a social media site. Future employers can often be put off by excessively rude or whiny comments, especially abouts a user’s current place of employment or bosses, according to the Career Builder website.

What a person posts on social media is reflection on who they and users need to remember this when sharing their lives via the internet. Personal fights between friends and secrets belong offline, not in someone’s news feed. Users only further embarrass themselves and the person they are fighting when they behave in this manner.

Social media are public forums, especially with users unconcerned with privacy settings. Users who are concerned with their privacy should increase the level of privacy protection on social media. These settings are available to all users, but very few take advantage of them.

Users need to take care when posting on social media, as many people can check their profile or wall without their knowledge. A person’s social media profile is a reflection of them and they need to be careful with how they represent themselves.