Humberside Police urge Isle residents to think before they post

That’s the latest message from Humberside Police as part of the force’s Stay Safe Over Summer campaign.

Before you post that funny picture of you or a friend, hit send on a comment or make a joke about someone on Twitter, stop and think if you would be happy for your parents, family or even future employers to see it?

The reality is that what you post online now could potentially be there forever, so while something may seem funny now, the joke could end up on you.

An Acas survey revealed that 45 per cent of those hiring staff use social media to help screen candidates and 40 per cent said they planned to make greater use of them in future.

A separate piece of research from the Chartered Institute of Professional Development (CIPD) showed that two out of five employers look at job applicants’ online activity or profiles on sites such as Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn at the recruitment stage.

Your profile picture is also the first impression people have of you when looking you up online, so think carefully about the photos you choose.

Are they appropriate or do they give away a lot of information about you. For example, a picture of you in your school uniform lets everyone know where you will be five days a week.

The advice from the force is that before you post you should stop and THINK.

T – is it true?

H – is it helpful?

I – is it inspiring?

N – is it necessary?

K – is it kind?

If you’re worried about what is online about you, there are steps you can take:

Do a simple web search of your name and see what comes up.

If you find something you’re not happy with, contact the page administrators to take the necessary steps to have it removed.

If your Twitter or Facebook pages appear in your search, think about changing your privacy settings

If you stop using a social network profile or website, deactivate or delete your account. That way things from the past won’t come back to haunt you and no one can hack in and post inappropriate content in your name.

Think about the level of information you’re sharing. Only give your mobile number, personal email address and contact details to trusted friends.

Remember, once you have sent out a text, it’s impossible to take it back.

Never be forced to do anything online i.e. transfer/hold money, distribute images

If you have indecent images of a friend, please inform an adult and then the authorities