When posting personal information online in today's digital age, it might be simple to overdo it. Yet, a survey from Secure Data Recovery finds that most Americans believe people disclose too much on social media.
While many people are comfortable giving basic details about themselves, such as their first name (78 percent), birthday (67 percent), birthplace (59 percent), and age (57 percent), the poll of over 1,000 respondents across generations found that other information is viewed as being too intimate for public consumption. Fewer than 20 percent of respondents indicated they would be willing to disclose information about their health, finances, or home.
The survey also revealed variations between generations in terms of social media usage. For instance, millennials were more inclined to communicate political thoughts and post vacation photos than Gen Xers or baby boomers. Gen Xers were more willing to give work updates or suggestions for goods and services than millennials or baby boomers. The generation most unlikely to disclose personal information online was the baby boomer.
People tend to be comfortable sharing the highlights of their lives online, like vacations and graduations. However, more sensitive topics such as divorce or miscarriages are rarely shared among social media circles. As for oversharing - political views, everyday life happenings, bodily functions, and kids were marked by respondents as some of the most common subjects that can get a bit too much exposure on platforms across the web!
While parents used to be enthusiastic about sharing updates about their children online, this trend has been waning as current generations become more aware of the potential threats associated with having personal information posted publicly. The majority of Gen Xers (45 percent) still document and share stories from their kids' lives - although Boomers (27 percent) and Millennials (25 percent) are posting less overall.
Despite knowing that such content can open them up to cybercrime, 24 percent choose not to use social media privacy settings that could protect themselves and those they post about.
Many Americans are aware that digital media is forever, yet a shocking amount of them remain comfortable with sharing personal information openly. About one-third of citizens in the U.S. place their trust solely in their capacity to keep sensitive data safe when interacting online. Despite numerous negligent instances of personal data being compromised over recent years, individuals continue to rely on the concept that they can safeguard information versus malicious entities.
Read next: 87% of UK Adults Have Encountered Scams, New Survey Reveals
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World
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