Sharing Our Lives Online: Risks and Exposure in Social Media

Most of us know someone who has inadvertently revealed something shameful or embarrassing online about themselves or someone else. With the growth of social media like Facebook and Twitter, we are heading towards a radically open society. In exploring this phenomenon, David R. Brake first provides an overview of the harms that can be posed by unwary social media use - not just for children but for all of us, young or old. He then draws on in-depth interviews, a range of related theories of human behaviour and a wealth of other studies to analyse why this happens. He explains in detail the social, technological and commercial influences and pressures that keep us posting what we should not and stop us fully appreciating the risks when we do so. This is an invaluable book for students, parents, policy-makers and any social media user.