As we can see from the experiences of a fellow Kent State student, the dangers of social media are real, and they can happen to anyone.

Allyssa Griffiths was stalked for five years. Her tweets, Facebook posts and photos were stolen from her own social media accounts and were used to create a fake persona. (See the KentWired story )

Unfortunately for Griffiths, nothing could be done by law enforcement, which is often the case in situations such as these.

Members of law enforcement often do not have the means or the ability to track down cyber stalkers or cyber bullies as a result of unclear guidelines on how to deal with such implications.

Though the guidelines may be vague, that does not mean a discussion should not be had on how to address the dangers of social networking.

Social media are on the rise, making it more likely for you or someone you know to experience cyberbullying, identity theft or catfishing. We feel social networks themselves should field the burden of maintaining the safety of their users. Social networks have the ability to block IP addresses of repeat offenders as well as stop copied or hacked information from being propagated.

Users only have so much they can do to ensure their safety. They can turn on all of their privacy settings and rarely post to their pages, but all it takes to save a picture off of a profile is a right click.

To avoid every risk, one would have to abstain from social media altogether — a rarity in today’s world.

For this reason, we urge you to be mindful of what you post and keep your eyes open. Spend five minutes grabbing your profile picture and posting it into Google, and see if it pops up on any website other than your own. You may be surprised at what you find.

The above editorial is the consensus opinion

of the Daily Kent Stater editorial board