Even if you think you are showing something posted on the Internet only to a limited group of friends, it may actually be seen by many people. In this lesson, you will learn what to be careful about when sharing information.
Posts Are Seen by More People Than You Think
Even if you post thinking, “It is a group that only my close friends can see,” a friend may show someone a screenshot or forward it to another group. Once text or a photo reaches someone else, it may spread beyond the range you expected. The more you think something is “a secret just between me and the other person,” the more carefully you need to handle it.
Something Shared Once Cannot Be Completely Erased
Even if you delete a post later, it may remain with people who saw it if they have already taken a screenshot or saved it. In other words, deleting something does not necessarily make it as if it never existed. That is why thinking carefully before posting about whether it is safe to write something is much more important than regretting it afterward.
Three Things to Check Before Posting
Before posting, ask yourself the following three questions. ① Could this hurt someone? Even if you mean it lightly, could it make the reader feel bad? ② Is this true? Are you writing a rumor or unverified information as if it were a fact? ③ Could this cause problems for me later? Would you feel embarrassed or have trouble if your family, teacher, or someone at a future school saw it? Making a habit of checking these three things greatly reduces regret after posting.
- A post you think “only friends can see” may spread through forwarding or screenshots.
- Deleting a post cannot erase copies that remain with other people.
- Before posting, check three things: “Could it hurt someone? Is it true? Could it cause problems later?”
- It is better to stop and think before posting than to regret it afterward.
Practice Problems
- Explain why a message posted on the Internet may not be “completely erased” even after it is deleted.
- Give two things that should be checked before posting.
- Explain why you must be careful about thinking, “It is fine because only my close friends can see it.”
Answers and Explanations
- Answer: If someone who saw the post has already taken a screenshot or saved it, a copy remains with that person even after you delete the original.
Explanation: The answer is correct if it states that the post remains with other people. - Answer: (Examples) ① Could this hurt someone? ② Is this true? ③ Could this cause problems for me later? Any two of these are acceptable.
Explanation: The answer is correct if two of the three questions are given. - Answer: A friend may take a screenshot and show it to others or forward it to another group, causing the content to spread beyond the range you expected.
Explanation: The answer is correct if it states that the content may reach people other than the intended viewers.