UK Student News and Events

It’s unofficially the world’s third largest country if we were to go by population alone – following China and India, Facebook has the world’s largest population base – 500 million users have signed up for this service in a new record of sorts. It’s a virtual world no doubt, but you have to admit that it’s one that’s the best connected. So no matter who you are and privacy concerns aside, it pays to hitch a ride on this bandwagon, because it sure is going places in the days to come. If you’re a student, you can make the most of Facebook not just to write offbeat status messages and leave cryptic and sarcastic comments on those of your friends, but also for more valuable purposes as well.

• Establish a network: By network, I don’t mean one that comprises of your friends (or people who you barely know but who Facebook claims are your friends) but one that you can use for professional reasons. When you’re pursuing a career in a particular field, it’s important that you establish a network of contacts who can help you secure a job, offer recommendations, and help you move up the career ladder. Don’t make friends expecting them to help you out; rather, talk to people and get to know them before you ask for favors. Facebook is the perfect platform to do this because it’s neither too casual nor too formal.
• Choose your friends carefully: Facebook is not a competition where you collect the maximum number of friends; it’s a social networking tool to interact with people you know well and acquaintances you’re familiar with. So don’t add people you don’t know to your list of friends, unless they’re common friends with someone you know. The problem with inviting strangers to be your “friend” on Facebook or accepting their invitations is that you’re boosting your risk of identity theft and leaving yourself open to unscrupulous people who use information on your profile against you in various ways.
• Protect your privacy: Facebook is a safe network if you know how to protect your privacy. By default, most of your profile information is visible for all to see, so it’s best you check out the privacy options and apply them to your profile. Categorize your friends by groups – friends, family, close friends, acquaintances, work people and so on, and provide access accordingly. Remember, if you put up pictures or status messages or leave comments that are not kosher, they could come to bite you in the back when you’re looking for a job or trying to impress a potential employer.

For all its perceived fallacies, Facebook is one of the safest social networks there is simply because it allows you to decide your preferred privacy settings; and it’s the best way to network because it has the largest number of people online in the same place.

This guest post is contributed by Anna Miller, who writes on the topic of online degree. She welcomes your comments at her email id: anna.miller009@gmail.com