5 Things You Should Never Do on Facebook

This is so important, especially in the world we live in today. It's common sense that you should refrain from sharing personal information, such as your exact address and phone number, but if you want people to know about your love life or family issues, then contact them personally. Also, it's not a good idea to post a status message saying "At the beach for a week" or something similar, because now, this lets people know that you aren't home, possibly opening your home to robbery. Get the point? Facebook has multiple privacy settings to keep any unwanted information from being shared with millions of people, so be sure to use them wisely and set them accordingly. I always recommend that your profile is set to private to the public, until they are friends with you.

2. Post Inappropriate Pictures and Content

Think of it this way, would you want your future boss or mother to see pictures of you half naked playing beer pong, or you giving the finger? For most of us, probably not. Keep that in mind next time you consider uploading your drunken escapade pictures from this past weekend. What's worse is when people have 200 albums of these dumb pictures.

Inappropriate content should also be kept off your Facebook profile. None of us want to see a ton of swear words on your status message or info page. Never EVER threaten somebody or make offensive comments toward or about a person on Facebook. Doing this just puts it in writing, and there are people out there, like cyber security analysts, who check up on these things and don't take it lightly. Don't do it!

Also, your profile picture should always be a decent one, because this is the picture people see when they search for you. Remember, never put pictures of your children as your profile picture; there are so many creepies and perverts out there nowadays.

3. Befriend People You Don't Know

Don't try to be "cool" or the "popular" one and add every single person you can, even if you don't know them. Don't worry, nobody cares if you have 2,000 friends or 2 friends. Likewise, don't accept friend requests from strangers. If you're unsure, message the person in question and ask how they know you. Sometimes, they just don't look familiar, but they are somebody you used to know. That's why Facebook is so popular, because you get to reconnect with people you haven't heard from in years. Just double check first, because once you are friends with someone, they can see all of your information. Keep your friends list to people you really know, to be on the safe side.

4. Be Excessive With Status Messages

Do you really need to update your status every 15 minutes with "eating dinner", "watching TV", "sleeping", etc? Trust me, no you don't. It's just cluttering up your profile and our news feeds. I don't understand what the purpose of this is. Do you really think your friends are going to care that you're doing these everyday, ordinary things? Now, if you post a status message saying something interesting and fun, that's different. Keep the status messages to a minimum, and post them only when you feel the need to share something interesting.

5. Ignore Friends Comments and Messages

Keep active on Facebook, and respond to your friend's comments or messages they send you, unless you have a good reason not to. Responding is a nice way to show them you are paying attention and appreciate that they are interacting with you. Return the gesture.

Overall, Facebook is a great site to keep in contact with friends, family and coworkers. It's no wonder it's one of the most popular websites in the world. Follow these 5 tips and be smart about what you post and who you share it with. Happy Facebooking!