Online engagement has skyrocketed with the boom in social media. The communication is wonderful, but safeguards must be in place. Few completely understand the permanence of online posts and the potential for breaches of their privacy. From teens to politicians to CEOs, privacy breaches ruin lives daily - many due to misinterpreted comments - costing college and job prospects and careers.
Automatic expiration of personal posts must be mandated as an OPTION for users at the time of posting in any online forum - at least for youngsters. Obscure privacy settings and fine print do not adequately address this issue. Viral circuit-breakers should temporarily suspend posts and notify users when personal posts begin to go viral. Legislation and education on Internet privacy are critical.