Amidst all this, we often forget that there are many people lecherous people hiding behind the closet, just standing in wait. These people are not on our Facebook friend list or in our extended Google+ circles or even on Instagram for that matter. However, these people do co-exist along with us under hidden facades. We are the only ones who can actually be wary of such people and be on a constant lookout before accepting 'friend requests' on any Social Media Platform, even LinkedIn.
About two months ago I was browsing through my Facebook account and sifting through friend requests as usual (I Do not add people I do not know or faintly recall either). I got one Friend Request from a particular person named "Angel Asha" on Facebook. (I am naming this ID here because of the reasons that are to ensue) I saw a sister-in-law of mine who was shown as a mutual friend, along with a few others I recalled. I accepted it thinking it is some relative that I am not aware about, probably. After I did, I kind of forgot about it (just like we do once we finish adding people in our extended Facebook list)
Around a week later I got a notification on my browser that someone had shared my profile picture on their timeline. Now, I usually know it would be my father-in-law or my husband or my mother who would do that, however, I was in for a pretty rude shock to see someone else (Yes Angel Asha) to have shared my profile picture on her timeline. This person had the picture of my sister-in-laws daughters too on their timeline. I was Not very pleased at all! I then started browsing through the photos and albums of this particular person and all I could see was diabolical pictures that were just not appropriate. This particular person had followers who were porn addicts probably and the pictures of their friends were basically short of just a string being cut. The women in those pictures were all out showcasing their not so gorgeous beauty and attracting lewd / vulgar comments from everyone on that page.
Now really imagine my horror to see my family picture posted there! Or for that matter my sister in laws too! I was so thoroughly shocked, because all this while we have heard of predators and sickos haunt the internet space, but to actually see it kind of unbecoming and quite a bit to take in.
My next action in place was to contact that person and ask them to take down my family's picture immediately from their timeline. I was not going to see any random person see my kids and even eye them for that matter. Despite of repeated messages, there was no action. I reported this as abuse on Facebook and I blocked the person from my list. However, there is no way to ensure that what someone else has shared will not be shared by others following them. I was haunted for a very long time that the person knows how my kids look and that something may happen to them. All this I went through without letting anyone else know of my fears or borderline paranoia. As on date, there are many Angel Asha's on Facebook but the one that was accidentally added to my friend list is not visible. It could be that they have changed their name or identification. Be wary!
Now to sum it all up, we do know there are many predators, pedophiles, rapists out there who are around us and probably in a garb of someone else. But, we need to be so careful while posting our pictures on social media and our safety is in our hands. What can be done? Although we know this, but lets just reiterate ...
- Settings: Change the setting on your profiles to hide all pictures and labels from public. Make your settings either Private or visible to friends and acquaintances on your friend list. You can have your posts visible to the public, as some of us are here for business, but the rest is best hidden. You do not need to world to know how your family and friends look, right?
- Friend Requests: The teenage group has been on a constant radar by these predators across the globe. It is so easy for them to masquerade as anyone they wish, like teachers, friends, hunks from another planet, etc. that the innocent often get trapped. This is applicable to everyone. Please go through the profile of the person whose friend request you are about to accept. Even if you have mutual friends, it is not necessary to accept them in your group and let them in, in your lives.
- Photos: Be cautious about the number of pictures and whose pictures you share on your timeline. Not everybody likes their pictures or their family pictures to be posted on Social Media. I am not implying that you do not post pictures at all, however, not all pictures are to be posted on Social Media. Keep pictures that are private, private only. This specially applies to people who share really annoying pictures of their young kids like having a bath in the bathroom or wearing diapers and eating or sleeping kids, etc... etc... This is Not DONE! These are only your moments and do not showcase them as objects of affection. You do not know there is a pedophile lurking in the darkness, till he / she actually comes out and abuses your child's pictures or them in person. PLEASE STOP SHARING UNNECESSARY PICTURES
- Public: If it is online, it is public, unless made private. We can whine and cry about all Privacy laws and encroachment ideas, however, once you have an image discoverable online it is assumed to be free to use. Just be careful while posting anything online, it is a matter of your and your family's safety.
These are just a few precautions that we can take, because I know how horrific an experience it can be, even if it is virtual. This was a rude wake up call for me and I really would want everyone else to be careful. It can be quite a marring experience and you are constantly worried about your children even when they are playing down; So let us not let it repeat.
"Let The World Not Teach You How to Go Down, But To Stay Strong" - Ankita
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