A few years ago, social media was literally unheard of. Fast forward today, it is something that is engrained in our lives. Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest, Instagram (and list goes on…) become household names overnight with other social networking sites sprucing up trying to catch up or rather ‘imitate’ the giants’ formula.

Social media makes it easy to build a web of friends and acquaintances, sharing photos, whereabouts, contact information, and interests. As users and members, we add content such as pictures and information about ourselves and post our daily rants to a pre-built profile layouts.

But be thoughtful about what you post; don’t put your personal information at risk. Remember, the words and images you post on the Internet may be available for years, and your profile may be viewed by future employers and school admissions officials, as well as identity thieves, spammers, and stalkers.

We have to make sure we know our limits when it comes to sharing or giving out information. We also have to be cautious of the safety of our personal information when it is disseminated across social media sites. In order to avoid of having the data misused, it is strongly advisable not to store private data on these websites because as soon as any information is published and made public, it won’t be yours anymore. We can't control where the information goes, and once it's out there, it's easy for your information to go beyond the people you know and trust.

So, if you are an avid social media user, there are a few things that you should keep in mind:

• Make sure to control who sees your posts. Only allow your close friends or people you trust to see your profile and limit what you post. Approve only requests from people that you know or are trustworthy.

• Set a boundary of what you post online. When updating statuses or information, make sure that you don’t write a novel and let the world know your pet’s name. No one cares.

• Communicate only with your friends, acquaintances or someone you can trust. It is always good to broaden your circle of friends but there are people out there in the social media world who are up to no good. If you have friend requests, only approve those you know or familiar of.

Social media is fun and entertaining but it is always better to be safe than sorry. Keep your distance from potential troubles.