My research for Social Media Week took me to a meeting with Aziza Ahad Furbert, a Digicel Bermuda Marketing ExecutiveI asked Aziza what her thoughts were on Social Media and to share with us safety tips for children and adults who frequent Social Media.“There’s a lot to love about social media. You can stay close to friends who have moved away or changed schools on Facebook.“Your birthday party photos can be posted, tagged, and shared instantly on Instagram. You keep up to date with the latest trending topics on Twitter, keep your style maintained with Pinterest, and blog your heart out on Tumblr.”She went on to say: “With cell phones, staying connected on social media is easier than ever. Social media, however, is not a utopia.“You have to take steps to protect yourself against predators, impostors, bullies, and haunting material.”Here are some tips Aziza shared with Young Observer to help you navigate social media safely.PredatorsIf you were walking down the street and a creepy stranger tried to ask you for personal information, would you give it to them?You wouldn’t tell strangers your address, your birthday, your friends’ names, or the name of your school.You wouldn’t show them pictures of your family, tell them the name of your pet, or tell them where you’re going to hang out later.Similarly, you should not share this information with strangers on your social networks.It is not rude to decline a friend request from someone you don’t know; it is smart.Check your privacy settings to make sure that you are only sharing with your friends and limit your friends list to people you actually know.ImpostorsWhat if the stranger isn’t so creepy? Let’s say the stranger walking down the street is your age, kind of cute, and seems to be friendly.You might be more likely to divulge some information and befriend this person.Online, however, it is possible that this stranger is faking his or her identity and could be someone different entirely.If you want to add a new friend online, use some basic ground rules.Add the person on Limited Profile settings only so that your personal information is protected.See if you have any mutual friends. If so, ask your mutual friends for some background. If not, how did this person find you?Most importantly, do not make plans to meet up in person with anyone you meet online by yourself. Always tell an adult, take a friend with you, and meet somewhere public.BulliesCyber bullying has very real implications, causing emotional distress to victims. What can you do to avoid being bullied on social media?Tell an adult. Believe it or not, your parents can help.Together, you can figure out a plan to stop the bullying or, if you want to avoid confrontation, at least talk to a counsellor for emotional support.Choose your friends wisely. If someone is mean to you, don’t let them be your “friend” online. Block them.You don’t need their drama on your timeline and you don’t want them to have access to your stuff either.Post wisely. Even after you block bullies from your page, they might still be able to use stuff you have posted if other “friends” send it to them.Don’t give them ammo to use against you. If there is anything you don’t want the world — bullies included — to see, don’t post it. Period.Report fraudulent behaviour. If someone is pretending to be you online, report this activity to the sites so they can shut down the fraudulent account.Keep your own passwords safe and complex to make it difficult for anyone to hack into your accounts.Haunting materialThis isn’t “haunting” in the supernatural sense; this refers to posts you make now that could haunt you later.Even if you are not a victim of cyber bullying, there are certain things that you should just never post online.You don’t want an embarrassing post or photo to resurface when you are applying for college, looking for a job, going on a first date, running for office, or having children of your own.Once you post something online, that item takes on a life of its own.Even if you delete it later, it may have already been downloaded to a number of computers and can be re-uploaded by any nameless person into a forum for future embarrassment.Again, some ground rules: be polite, be respectful, be clothed, be sober, be legal.You might think it’s cool to swear like a sailor now, but it can be a major turn off for people you want to impress in the future. You may not want to be quoted on your profanity.Be respectful of other genders, cultures, religions, ages, etc.A poorly thought out, disrespectful comment can have serious repercussions. Don’t brand yourself as a bigot.For goodness sake, put some clothes on. You might think that your current honey is going to love you forever and that those pictures you sent in a private message are going to stay between the two of you.Think again. Remember, if there is anything you don’t want the world to see, don’t post it.Drunken pictures at any age are less than appropriate for social media, as they paint an unflattering portrait for potential recruiters and/or employers.Drunken pictures of minors, however, are also proof of illegal activity. Firstly, don’t partake in illegal activity and, secondly, definitely don’t document it.With these precautions in mind, social media can be a fun way to connect with friends.Use common sense and remember that what you do online can affect you in the real world.Just remember, if you ever find yourself questioning if you should post something, the answer is probably “no”.