Feeling overwhelmed by constant social media use? From mindless scrolling to incomprehensible privacy settings, we can all agree there are plenty of things that make managing your digital life a hassle. They feel like they don’t know what to do about Instanav (short for Instagram navigation) and the platform’s other features that are adding more pieces of personal information over which they have little control. This guide offers practical steps to lock down data on big social platforms and help control your online presence.
Understanding Social Media Privacy Risks
But before we get into solutions, let’s look at the threats. Your data has value, and without the right protections, it’s up for grabs.
- Data Breaches: Social media companies are also high-profile targets for hackers, who can gain access to sensitive user information such as passwords and personal data.
- Third-Party Apps: Allowing a quiz, game, or other app to access your profile may mean it’s able to collect and share your data without your explicit consent.
- Location Tracking & Profiling: Hundreds of apps track your location. While marketed as to enhance user experience and serve targeted ads, the data collected creates a profile of you with information about where you live and work, and who your contacts are!
Step-by-Step Guide to Securing Your Data
Take back control with these platform-specific steps.
- Run a Privacy Checkup: Complete Facebook’s in-house tool to feast your eyes on who can see your posts, how much of your information is visible from your profile, and how people can find you.
- Control Which Apps Can Access Your Account: Visit “Settings & Privacy” > “Settings” and scroll down to see which third-party apps can tap into your account. Delete any that you don’t know or no longer use.
- Turn Location History Off: In “Location,” tap here to disable location history and services, so that Facebook can’t track where you are.
- Switch to Private Account: The quickest way to manage who sees your posts. Your posts and stories will only be visible to your approved followers.
- Limit Story Sharing: Under “Story Controls,” you can prevent certain people from seeing your stories and reduce who has the option to reply or share them.
- Review Tagging Options: Decide if you want to review and approve photos and videos in which you are tagged before they appear on your profile.
X (formerly Twitter)
- Protect Your Tweets: In “Settings and privacy,” select “Privacy and safety” and check the box for “Protect your Tweets.” This is what makes your tweets only visible to your followers.
- Control Tagging: In “Photo tagging,” you can specify who is able to tag you in photos.
- Review Data Sharing: Go to and unset the checkboxes that enable X to share data with partners.
Best Practices for Enhanced Privacy
Locking in your settings is only the first step. It will enable you to maintain a safe digital footprint by adopting these practices.
- Turn on Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): This is an added layer of security, where a second step is required after logging in to confirm the person signing into your account is actually you (like a code sent to your phone).
- Strong, Unique Passwords: Do not use the same password on different services. A password manager can help you generate and store unique, complex passwords for every account.
- Be Mindful of What You Share: Keep in mind what you share before sharing. Do not post anything that reveals too much information about yourself, like your home address or phone number (or a copy of your airplane ticket), seriously, guys.
| Statistic | Data | Source |
| Average daily time spent on social media | 2 hours 27 minutes | Datareportal (2024) |
| Percentage of social media users concerned about data privacy | 78% | Pew Research Center (2023) |
| Increase in cybercrime incidents via social media | 45% increase YoY | FBI Internet Crime Report (2024) |
| Users who changed privacy settings in the last year | 62% | Consumer Reports (2024) |
| Engagement with transparent vs. non-transparent companies | 30% higher for transparent | Global Trust Survey (2024) |
The Human Side of Social Media
And beyond data security, there is the live question of what toll all this constant connectivity takes on our brains. A break from social media can improve clarity, productivity and overall well-being. Take a lot of young women called, depending on your preference or lack of it for internet culture, either influencer/influenza or internetchicks who feel an enormous burden to be online all the time and it’s killing them.
They negotiate a thicket of online exposure that most users never see. Intentional downtime gives you a chance to reconnect with the offline world and reset your relationship with technology.
Take Control of Your Digital Life
Safekeeping your social media is not a one-step job but a lifelong habit. Keep an eye on your privacy settings and be careful about what you post, and you can mitigate a lot of your risk. Begin with one platform today, follow the process outlined above, complete a privacy checkup and take steps to establish better habits for online activity.