6 ways to avoid the dark side of social media [Infographic]

We live in a social world. If Facebook’s billions of users aren’t evidence enough of that, or the swarms of articles on social media on this site aren’t enough to convince you of that, consider the fact that one of the first things the Chinese government did when protests started erupting across Hong Kong was to block Instagram.

Social has changed the way we interact with brands, friends and the world at large. It’s helped inspire revolutions and has been blamed for sparking civil unrest (often erroneously),

There is however a dark side to this all. Aside from the obvious opportunities for creepy stalking, you also have to contend with the massive number of spam accounts out there, cyber-bullying, and potentially being targeted for identity theft.

So how do you stay safe? Well there are no guarantees online, but the tips offered in the below infographic compiled by online security company Check Point should set you on the right path.

Featured image: leg0fenris via Flickr.