Have you ever wondered why ads on Facebook seem to be getting into your head, finding out what you like and targeting you? Every day, students worldwide click “yes” to sharing all of their information with apps, oblivious to the consequences of those actions.

    Kids nowadays are using these Facebook apps to browse the site while away from their computer, or play popular games such as Words with Friends, Bubble City, and Farmville, etc. Even if your entire profile is private, nothing matters when you choose to share everything with these apps, and in some cases it has proved to be controversial.

    Even if you don’t let apps access your account, you’re still out of luck. Although Facebook makes a point to let you know that you it will be accessing your private information; it fails to let you know that it consists of your friend’s information. This means that you don’t have to have a single app downloaded; it just takes one of your friends to have one for your information to be visible. “That’s really creepy. Someone should try to prevent that.” Said freshmen Cassidy Connolly.

    Facebook has found other equally invasive ways to collect information as well. Searching for something within Facebook by using the toolbar, posting articles and videos on your friend’s wall is also another way companies sneak up on you.

    The information accessed makes you a big target for certain ads. Based on the information that is shared, advertisement companies get to know all about your likes and how to target you where it hurts the most. If you have certain clothes stores liked, your sidebar may show up urging you to buy half-off spring attire. Or maybe you have your Facebook status listed as single; and as a result you get raucous sidebar ads displaying sketchy “local hotties.” We’ve all fallen victim to targeted ads, feeling tempted by the treasures they seem to know all about. The sad realization is students have become so dependent on social networking sites to communicate with their friends that they’ll use them regardless of the consequences.

     Unfortunately, the only way to truly prevent the leakage of this personal information is through the deletion of your Facebook account. Regardless of that extra precaution, information will be leaked online just by using any search engine and surfing the web. So it’s not really necessary to go all out, deleting all of your information in response. Students should be aware of that fact that everything you write and post online can be visible to certain companies, and to stay safe.