Many Dalen Design clients regularly use social media to connect with their clients, communities, families and friends. So it’s not surprising when we receive messages asking for guidance or insight, especially around myths, urban legends, and quite simply, misinformation. Which is why we wanted to cover a few Facebook FAQs in a post this week.
Facebook “Fake” News
If you read our social media posts or blog, you have probably heard about Facebook Zero. In an effort to bring users more relevant content, Facebook reorganized the newsfeed. As of January 2018, users are being presented with more content from family and friends. This means you will see far fewer posts from businesses. While this effort is certainly putting the “social” back into social media, it also brought to light the sheer volume of memes, urban legends, myths and other misinformation circulated on a regular basis. Which is why the team from Dalen Design strongly recommends you take fact checking into your own hands.
Snopes.com is widely considered the definitive fact-checking and reference source website. Did Jamie Oliver Prove McDonald’s Burgers Are Unfit for Human Consumption? Snopes has the answer. Does a new Facebook algorithm only who you 26 friends? Snopes skips the fiction and hits hard with the facts.
Bottom line, if you need to figure out if something you’ve read or seen shared is legit – head to Snopes.com
Facebook Quizzes & Tests
On any given day, your Facebook newsfeed is likely filled with friends who’s taken a “quiz” and shared their results. Want to see what you’d look like as the opposite gender? There’s a quiz for that! Want to showcase your Harry Potter knowledge? There’s a test for that! Want to find out how silly you are? You guessed it, there’s a quiz for that, too!
The thing about social media tests and quizzes is you have to grant permission to the application to access your Facebook account. Ask yourself: are you comfortable giving app creators access to your personal information, friends list and possibly all your historical post data?
The team at Dalen Design likes to err on the side of caution, but we also know it can be hard to resist the temptation to join in the fun. Which is why we suggest doing applications setting audits on a regular basis. It’s fast, easy and you can stay in control of who has access to your content. Simply log on to Facebook, go to Settings > Apps and take the time to review each one of the sections.
How Much Personal Information Are You Giving Away?
Let’s face it – there is nothing more enjoyable than posting photos on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Snap Chat of our feet in the sand… when our friends at home are buried under snow! Unfortunately, these vacation posts and pictures also make it easy to your largest investment – your home – at risk.
A survey by Allstate Insurance Company of Canada discovered a large percentage of Canadians don’t realize the impact of posting about vacation plans online. The Selfie Effect: Are Your Vacation Pictures Putting You at Risk? is a fantastic infographic shared by Allstate and we hope it reminds everyone (including the kids who travel with you) about the downfalls of oversharing while away from home.
The Selfie Effect: Are Your Vacation Pictures Putting You at Risk? (CNW Group/Allstate Insurance Company of Canada)