Facebook has announced yet another way to connect with your friends. Starting yesterday (July 6) FB users are now able to video call their friends thanks to a new partnership with Skype. So we can now communicate face-to-face on Facebook... weird.
Power such as this could be used for good or evil. Consider the fine line of face-to-face time.
On the plus side, connecting live through web video calling could make life simpler. It makes reconnecting with long-lost friends or planning an event easier. It also becomes possible to connect a speaker who may be in another country, with your local organization or school.
Ah, but there the flip-side comes in.
You all know by now that objects online are blurrier than they appear. If you plan on reaching out to contacts, regardless of the application, be sure to protect your own privacy and safeguard any personal information. You might be able to see their info, but they can see yours, too. And just because someone claims to be a 4.0 student and superstar athlete with devilishly good looks who volunteers at a nursing home and rescues abandoned puppies—that doesn't guarantee that all of these claims are true.
FB video calling could also introduce a new aspect of cyberbullying or sexual harassment. Always be careful about your privacy and remember that your online reputation follows you into the real world. If you or a friend find yourselves in a sticky situation online, get help at A THIN LINE.