[denphone]

Originally Posted by Stuart

With all the hype about online bullying, fake news etc, it's easy to think that, but I suspect the truth is nearer the opposite.

Facebook does offer the option to lock down your profile so that it's only accessible by friends and apps/pages you've given access. I am unsure if that is switched on by default, because I've been a member of facebook for years (I locked down my own profile), and am not going to set up another facebook account just to check this.

Generally, on my timeline ,I see posts from friends, and pages i've "liked", and the stuff I read on my timeline is stuff I am usually interested in, even if I don't agree with it.

The problem comes because even if the account is locked down, it is entirely possible that someone bad (be it a bully, ISIS recruiter or whatever) can get your facebook details and request a friendship. They can do this by genuinely appearing friendly, even using tricks to appear more friendly. Or they can threaten you.

I don't have accurate figures, but I suspect that the vast majority of social media users are just normal people. People who use facebook to keep track of old friends, use it to comment on other posts, and post the odd photo of family or a good night out. People who use Twitter for the same.

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