These days, if you want to find out about someone, all you need to do is go on to Facebook and search for his or her name. With a bit of extra information, you’ll be able to know that person’s address, birthday, relatives, educational background, work experiences, previous travels, and even what he or she ate this morning.

You don’t need a private investigator these days—all you need is social media. It’s one of the reasons why Internet privacy is a hot potato right now. After Facebook’s Cambridge Analytica scandal and the implementation of EU’s GDPR initiative, concerns about internet privacy have skyrocketed. The fact that people spend an average of 2 hours and 24 minutes every day on social media has only highlighted the need for keeping the user’s data private on social media.

What type of information is shared on social media?

Your profile

Most social media platforms allow their users to create online profiles that are very detailed and complete.  Although these details are not required, a lot of users feel the need to complete their profile to make it easier for their friends and acquaintances to easily identify their account. Some of the profile information gathered includes gender, age, family information, interests, address, phone number, educational background, and employment.

Your status updates

Social networks usually allow users to their status updates to be able to communicate with friends quickly. Although you can choose to restrict access to your status updates, however, it is still visible to Google and other search engines.

Your location

Social media networks are designed to broadcast your actual location, either as part of your profile or as an update available to authorized contacts only. When you check in to a local business or attend a local event, you are sharing your current location with other people.

Your shared content

Social media is all about sharing content about you, about what you do, and about the people around you. Photos, music, videos, and links are some of the common types of content shared on social media.

All the information that you share on social media reveals information about you, including contextual data that you might not even be aware of. By sharing them online, you are providing enough information for advertisers to track you or the government to monitor your activities.

How Is Your Information Used?

The data that you share on social media, whether publicly or through authorized contacts only, can be used by different entities for their own purposes. For example, an advertiser could aggregate your publicly available information, along with your browsing history, to perform targeted advertising. If you’ve seen a lot of sponsored ads on your Newsfeed related to the items you searched or purchased on Marketplace, then that’s part of their behavioral advertising campaigns.

Third-party applications, such as games, quizzes, polls, and other apps like Kik Messenger and Tik Tok, that you grant access to your profile might be getting more information than you realize. This is actually how the British political consulting firm, Cambridge Analytica, got access to millions of Facebook profiles and influenced public opinion.

Government agencies and law enforcement officers can also monitor your social media networks for valuable information regarding an investigation. Social media has become a vital part of law enforcement investigation because of the abundance of information that can be gleaned from the user’s account. Authorities can also work with the social media platform to get detailed information that is not available to the public.

And for those applying for employment, most recruiters now include looking into the applicant’s social media profiles when doing a background check.

How to Protect Your Privacy on Social Media

How do you keep your data safe on social media? The bad news is that there is always a risk that your information might fall into the wrong hands as long as you use social media. It’s because when you use social media, you’re automatically sharing something to the public.

And let’s admit it: it’s hard to imagine living without social media, especially for people with family members away from home. The good news is that there are some ways to help protect your privacy and mitigate the risk while using social media.

Delete accounts that you don’t need

The #DeleteFacebook movement is a good example of people going to great lengths to protect their data. This might be a good idea if you are living with your family and don’t need to use it to communicate with other people. Or if you have several Facebook accounts you previously created for some reason. If you find yourself not using a social media account, it would be better to shut down your account and delete the application from your devices to cut off any chances of inadvertent data sharing. You might not be aware of it, but social media apps can theoretically access information and data on your device.

Limit the number of social media networks that you use and don’t create new accounts just to gain more coins for your games or to stalk someone on social media.

Limit your friends

You’re not obliged to accept everyone who sends you a friend request. You might argue that social media was meant for making friends and connecting with people, but it is not advisable to connect with total strangers. Keep in mind that your list of friends will have access to information that you don’t normally want the public to know, so make sure you know your friends. Don’t hesitate to reject connection or friend requests from users you don’t know or have dodgy profiles. Review your friends list regularly and unfriend those who you don’t know.

Change your privacy settings

Most social media networks provide users with the option to change their privacy settings and manage the way their information is seen. Platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter have made it easier to decide who can see your posts and who can follow you. You can look around your social media account and look for the Privacy settings.

Facebook, for example, allows you to control who sees your profile and timeline, who can see your email and other contact information, who can tag you on posts, who can send you messages and friend requests, and other information. Other social media platforms also have this option, all you need to do is dig around the platform’s settings. And make sure to check your privacy settings regularly too, because sometimes they get changed suddenly and mysteriously.

Be careful what you post online

You don’t want people to use your own posts against you or ruin your reputation. If you don’t want something to be associated with you, then post it. Reckless posting can come back to haunt you when you least expect it. Never post anything that you don’t want other people to see. So before you publish your posts, double-check and triple-check.

Keep in mind that everything you publish online could easily be seen by your employers, family members, friends, professional contacts, and anyone else who can see your profile. And though you can always delete the unwanted posts later, you don’t know who has taken a screenshot of your unwanted post. The same goes for your conversations.

Don’t share everything about yourself

Social media users like to use their real names, addresses, and other personal information to make it easier for friends to recognize them. Professionals, too, like to add their employment details on LinkedIn to build a good reputation and easily connect with other professionals in the industry. However, giving out these details make it very easy for cybercriminals to guess your other important information, such as your work email, to launch targeted phishing or online scams that seem credible. To be safe, don’t share all your information online so hackers will have lesser data to work with.

Don’t share family photos on your social media

We know you love your kids, but you don’t need to post everything they do on social media. Cyber predators can grab photos of your children and stalk them on the internet. And since you put your address and your complete name on your profile, it is easier for these online predators to locate your house and probably put your kids in danger. Posting pictures of your children online makes them possible targets by sexual and other cyber predators.

Don’t use your social media profile to log into other websites

These days, it is easier to create new accounts by simply using your social media profiles to log in. For example, you can use your Facebook or Twitter profile to log into other services. Instead of typing in your information, such as email address, password, name, and address, all you need to do is click the ‘Login with Facebook’ or ‘Sign up with Facebook’ option, then everything will be filled out for you.

However, sharing your data across different platforms is very dangerous because you’re pooling all of your data in one location. Once any of these platforms is breached, then all of the accounts associated with your Facebook profile will also be compromised.

So don’t be lazy when creating profiles. Take a few minutes to set up your account using the signup form instead of relying on the ‘Sign up with Facebook’ function.

Wrapping Up

With social media becoming a very important tool for communication, it is becoming harder to stay private and keep your personal information safe. Hopefully, the tips above can help you protect your privacy online while enjoying the benefits of social media. It might be a good idea to receive additional training in online safety to be aware of all possible threats and how to be protected against them

The time we used to spend outdoors, in cars, shopping malls, or just hanging out with friends, we now spend indoors watching TV or using smartphones much of the time. Adults have a hard enough time as it is to limit their screen time, so what about the children?

Such a routine is not ideal for young eyes. Their screen use has increased drastically. Online sessions have replaced classrooms, and the time they used playing in the grounds is now spent watching online videos, playing games, or Face-timing with friends.

Although it is understandable that parents currently have their hands full with remote working, homeschooling, and running the household, they are sometimes guilty of using digital devices as a babysitter. And although parents need a break too, they must establish limits regarding acceptable limits regarding screen time.

Reducing your child’s screen time can significantly lessen digital eye strain symptoms that include blurry vision, tired eyes, and headaches. Here are some ways you can take control and reduce screen time during times at home.

1. Reduce your Screen time first

Yes, it has to start with you. Kids look up to parents, and if you don’t reduce your screen time, you cannot make your children do so. There are some software and apps that you can install on your phone, and monitor how much time you spend on your phone and other digital activities. Some phones come with inbuilt features and monitor the overall usage and time you spend on individual apps.

If you spend two hours on an app every day, reduce it to one hour and then gradually, into half an hour. Once you do that, you would be surprised to see how much time you have for other activities. But it’s not about your screen time in the first place; you are doing this for your children.

Enjoy screen-free meals

The idea should be to enjoy meals. It has become a norm to eat meals in front of a TV or using cellphones that results in distracted eating. You are more focused on what is happening on the screen than what we are putting in our mouth.

Mealtimes are great for social interaction. And these days have provided both parents and children to spend more quality time with each other. So, tell your children that no phones will be allowed on the table during meals. Make them leave their phones in another room away from the table.

Call your friends and family

Traditional phone calls have become a thing of the past now. If you notice, you would prefer to send a text message or a voice mail than answering a call. But phone calls are important. And psychologically beneficial too. Direct voice communication can even save relationships, which has become crucial when families and friends are living in isolation.

Call up a friend or family member. Make your children call their friends or grandparents. And then assess how you feel after hanging up the phone. Phone calls are a great way to connect when you cannot be together physically. Video calls are great as well. At least your child won’t be tapping away on the screen, texting or scrolling down Facebook.

Read at least one chapter every day

Why one chapter? Well, if you haven’t read books in a while, you cannot finish an entire book in a day. If not one, go for at least two. Reading is one of the best hobbies, and you should urge your children to read more. Also, if the book is unable to capture their interest or attention, they can always pick up another one.

Ebooks and audiobook rentals are available at local libraries easily. Indulge in reading with your children. You can do various activities. Choose books to read for the week, and then ask your children what they learned from it. Also, you can take turns reading as a family.

Take a break from digital devices

The key is to gradually reduce screen time and cut it down as much as you can. But as said earlier, doing it in quarantine gets a bit difficult. You can start with short breaks and encourage your children to give their eyes and their devices some rest. Make a timetable for your children that they have to take a short break every hour. You can go outside in the backyard or garden. Explore ideas for fun physical indoors games.  Do some chore, solve a puzzle or anything that does not involve screens.

With short breaks, the focus gets better. And eventually, you would find these habits becoming addictive. When you step away from the screens for 10 minutes, it will slowly increase to 20 minutes. You would find yourself doing other things and getting accustomed to it. Now, this might be easier with young children but not with teens. Excessive screen use not only harms the eyes but spending too much time on social media has negative impacts on psychological health. Social media is addictive, and if you think that your teen is not going to break free anytime soon, you need to take some strict measures. Get a monitoring app designed for parents to keep a check on your teen’s digital activities.

The app monitors text messages, call logs, emails, locations, web browsing history, and a lot more. There are numerous remote functionalities too. If you think your teens are not following rules and using screens when they are supposed to be taking a break or doing something else, you can learn how to remotely shut or lock the device.

Indulge in a new hobby

Everyone person wants to learn something or know something they have been interested in for a long time. Now maybe the best time to experience or learn new things. Help your child finding a new hobby. It can be growing a veggie garden, a DIY project at home, beginner cooking skills, organizing, or anything else. Children are using tablets and phones excessively due to the monotonous routine during the quarantine. When there is something new to do, they are going to distance themselves from the screens on their own.

And even if you use screens to learn a new craft like YouTube. See that you watch the tutorial and then get to work.

The occasional laziness is okay

While all of the above tips work and bring results, you cannot spend the entire quarantine self-improving. Leave some room for relaxation. And it is alright if your child spends an hour more on-screen once a week. Do not feel guilty about it.

We all have a lot of time on our hands that we can use to reflect upon ourselves or relax. Enjoy nature and your surroundings. Plan a lunch or breakfast in the backyard/garden. Ask your children to come up with ideas for décor. And also the menu. You have to make use of what you have and feel blessed.

Mindfulness and meditation do not require physical activity but can boost your mental health and give you a new perspective. There are many ways you can practice these things with children and make them feel more attuned to their surroundings away from the digital world.

Oral health in a child is one of the keys to their overall health. The habits that you instill in your children get carried on with them into adulthood. When you teach them how to care for their teeth and gums, you set them up for a future of good oral hygiene. They will be inclined to brush and floss correctly for the rest of their life. 

Your kids idolize you, and they often follow what you do. Take advantage of those little eyes that are studying you, and use this attention to develop their healthy oral habits. Studies have shown correlations between parent’s and children’s good oral health habits.

The Importance of Healthy Oral Health

Follow these simple tips to become a worthy dental health role model to your child.

A Brushing and Flossing Routine

Your child’s mouth is prone to many different microbes and germs daily. You need to ensure that food particles don’t get left behind in their teeth overnight. If plaque and bacteria accumulate on their teeth due to these food particles for a prolonged duration, it can erode their enamel, impact gum health and cause cavities. Good oral hygiene of brushing with fluoride toothpaste and flossing are both essential to prevent cavities in primary teeth and provide more effective support to your child’s permanent teeth.

Dental Cavities

Bacteria and food build-ups known as plaque are primary causes of tooth decay. It arises when a lack of thorough brushing leaves foods containing high amounts of unhealthy carbohydrates such as sugar and starch behind. Some high carb foods which you should avoid as much as possible include milk, soda, candy, cakes, fruit juices, cereals, and bread. That is because the bacteria that live in our mouth convert these into acid. Over time in case of absence of correct removal methods, the acidic deposit of plaque will harm your child’s enamel, becoming a significant cause of cavities.

Preventative Care

Protecting your child’s smile from painful dental issues is not something that should be taken for granted.  Establishing a healthy oral care routine early in life offers significant preventative benefits, protecting children from painful and costly dental issues in the future. We’ve mentioned that regular brushing, flossing, and dental checkups can help prevent cavities, gum disease, and enamel erosion.

On the other side of the equation, neglecting oral care can lead to more serious problems. These include infections or abscesses within the tooth pulp, which may require the expertise of an oral surgeon. These specialists treat issues like deep decay or trauma that affect the inner layers of the teeth, often necessitating procedures such as root canals. 

Proper Diet

As a parent, you should teach your children how to eat rightly. Introduce them to the benefits of eating balanced, healthy meals early on. Avoid processed sugars as a family, and stay away from sodas, candies, or starchy foods. Advise them to drink plenty of water. Good hygiene at home and in school goes hand in hand with a healthy diet. 

Well Developed Teeth

If you fail to introduce a healthy and sustainable oral hygiene routine in your child’s life during their learning age, it can lead to a variety of oral health problems for them. Around the age of 10-12, your kids can start getting teeth problems. Between the ages of 17 and 25 there is there is the issue of wisdom teeth, which will only be worse without healthy teeth and gums.  

One of the most important steps for oral care to visit a family orthodontist to figure out an early orthodontic treatment and help your child avoid any unnecessary hassle later.

As a parent, you are the first line of defense against poor oral health in your children. You can teach them relevant habits which will get them long-lasting beautiful smiles. But remember, regular checkups, cleanings, and suitable orthodontic treatments are also vital for your child’s comprehensive oral health.

You can also do things to make their next dental visit more than simply tolerable.  Make it fun!  Explore ways to help your kids enjoy the dentist, so that becomes something they look forward to. Learn more about encouraging lifelong oral health for kids in this infographic:

Parents-Oral-Health-Checklist-for-Kids Open PDF

Creating perfect smiles is what Dr. Satish Pai is committed to. An orthodontist by profession, he believes that a perfect smile is a powerful part of a person’s personality. When he is not working hard on perfecting his patients’ smiles at Putnam Ortho, he is busy writing engaging articles about everything related to healthy and perfect smiles. His other passions include golf, yoga and surfing. Spending time with his family always brings a smile on his face.

With all the different computer document types these days, it can be expensive to purchase multiple software programs to convert your files. Whether it be for work at home or for school, converting files is often needed for the purposes of editing.  A popular document that people often need to convert is a PDF.

Once created, a PDF can’t be edited unless you get a PDF editor or convert it to Word. The top online PDF converters will also allow you to convert your Word document back to PDF. Besides the fact that PDF’s are permanent, they can also be posted online for others to use and download.

PDF file ends with the extension .pdf, whereas a Word document ends with .doc or .docx. Any PDF can be opened using the free Acrobat Reader software, but that program can’t edit them.

There a multiple ways to create a PDF.  Using on of these five online PDF converter tools makes the process easy if you don’t existing downloaded software. These online converter tools will save you from all the hassle of having to retype your document in order to edit it.

PDF Bear

If you are looking for an online converter tool that can convert a lot of file formats, then PDF Bear is what you are looking for. PDF Bear is not only a PDF converter to Word, but it is also able to convert your PDF files to other file formats such as PPT, JPG, Excel, HTML, and so much more.

PDF Bear is a free online converter that wouldn’t charge you for its fast converting process. You don’t have to worry about your file being compromised by other users as your files will be deleted if they detect an hour of inactivity. You are assured that your documents will be safe and secured. So, if you need your files to be converted, then PDF Bear is what you need.

Canva PDF Converter

Another useful tool to consider is the Canva PDF Editor. This powerful converter allows you to transform PDF documents into PowerPoint presentations seamlessly. With Canva’s user-friendly interface and a wide range of design features, you can easily convert from pdf to ppt and customize your converted files to create visually stunning presentations.

Whether you need to repurpose content, share information, or deliver engaging slideshows, Canva’s PDF Converter can be a valuable asset in your toolkit.

Wondershare

A powerful online converter can’t be left off this list is Wondershare PDF Converter. This converter is very easy to use and has a user-friendly interface that would let you convert multiple file-formats without hassle. With this converter tool, you can separate certain files into different file formats and merge them into one document.

If the PDF file is protected by a password, you will only have access to it if you enter the correct password. This converter stands behind its name Wondershare because it always gives you high-quality conversions with just a few taps on your device. When talking about features, it is safe to say that this PDF editing software has features that are considered to be among the best.

Soda PDF Converter

Soda PDF Converter is also a considerable converter tool. It is well known for being accessible using any device or from anywhere or anytime you want. You can edit, annotate, create PDF files, convert PDF to Word or read on any of your devices or online. You can choose anything you want that works for you.

One amazing thing to note about this converter tool is that it is extremely easy to convert documents using this. All you have to do is just upload the document you want to convert or just use the drag-and-drop feature. Then, pick whichever file format you want to convert it into, and let the tool do its magic for you.

Small PDF Converter

Even though it’s called Small PDF Converter, you shouldn’t let it fool you. Small PDF Converter gives you a lot of handy features free of any charge. It is also very easy to use and very convenient, especially for beginners. You don’t even have to download anything or register an account.

You just have to go to their website and upload the file you intended to convert into another file format. Once the conversion process is complete, you can do whatever you want with the downloaded file. You can edit, annotate or download it on your device or send it on your cloud storage such as Dropbox or Google Drive.

Takeaway

We hope that this list helped you in finding the perfect online converter tool for all your conversion needs. These are just some of the PDF to Word converter tools out there, and you can search Google for more. Just remember to do your research to ensure any online software program you are using is safe. These tools are very easy to use and is truly a convenient way of converting your documents into other file formats.

Additional Resources:

• Pdf editing software download for students
• Powerpoint Tips for Teachers | Tips to create engaging ppt