CyberQuestions: #3 - If aliens existed, would they be on Facebook, too?

If by ”alien” you mean ”extraterrestrial,” better ask NASA. They have been looking for aliens all over space. But have they carefully explored social media? Sometimes the things we are searching everywhere for are nearby, right? It’s like you look for your favorite t-shirt all over the house, just to discover it under your bed…

Take a more mundane definition of the word ”alien,” as a foreigner or stranger, and the answer to your question is YES. In fact, most people on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and so on are alien, at least to you. That’s one good reason to be careful whom you befriend and what you tell them. Social media offers can let them lie about a lot of things and pretend to be who they are not. Anyone can hide behind a name and a fake photo. An old man can pretend to be a boy of your age or a girl that likes you. He can lure you into sharing photos of yourself, giving away personal information or meeting you face to face.

Somebody who does this kind of thing is called a predator, a name that stands for animals that hunt and eat their prey. And also for that bad Alien in the SF film of the same name.

So, remember your parents’ advice: don’t talk to strangers or go anywhere with them. Even if you ”meet” and ”talk” with them online and have the sensation you ”know” them, you don’t. They might know something about you because they searched out information about you: the school or the club you attend, your hobby, your passion. And they talk about these things to earn your trust. But they are just aliens (not necessarily green creatures with claws and fangs, or the blue ones with big eyes) but dangerous people who mean you harm.

Be smart, don’t fall into their trap!

Three pieces of advice on how to deal with aliens on social media and stop them from invading your personal space:

1. Don’t talk with them.
2. Block and report them if they persist.
3. Tell a parent.

Predators are horrible creatures of the cyberspace, but a wise warrior like you can defeat them!