A study conducted by OKCupid, a dating Web site, found that certain facial expressions were perceived as more attractive in profile pics—for women it's looking directly into the camera, but coyly. Conversely, a flirtatious glance directed out of view is the least popular expression. "If you're going to make eyes at someone," says OKCupid's Christian Rudder, "it should be with the person looking at your picture."
Do it—especially before a job interview: 35 percent of employers have come across compromising info that caused them not to hire a candidate, according to Careerbuilder.com. Sign up for Google Alerts, which gives you a heads-up when your name comes up on a Web search. But don't stop there. "Google doesn't typically index content from social networks," says digital media expert Amy Webb. She suggests Socialmention.com and Samepoint.com, which let you search social networks and microblogs as well as traditional sites for mentions.
Think twice before broadcasting your every thought on Twitter. As master tweeters Lady Gaga and Kim Kardashian know, thoughtful, humorous messages are what their followers want. And don't forget to link to other blogs, Web sites, and posts so it's not just all about you. Finally, for safety, don't opt in to broadcast your location along with your tweets. "Friends shouldn't let friends tweet past midnight. Or else they might use phrases like 'beautiful strangers,'" Olivia Wilde recently tweeted.
77% of social network users don't restrict access to their photo albums, and 24 million users leave their profiles mostly public. Prevent unintended oversharing by ensuring privacy: Create lists so that only your best friends (not your boss) see those bachelorette party pics. And while you can't stop friends from tagging embarrassing shots of you, you can always de-tag.
We love curly hair, but we also know that profile pics on a dating site of a woman with straight tresses got twice as many views as the same woman in curls. And lest you think it's just a guy thing: In a separate poll conducted by ABC News, 20 out of 22 children who were shown photos of the same woman wearing straight or curly hair preferred the pic of sleek locks.
According to Psychology Today, a person's appeal on Facebook drops off above and below 302 amigos. "Individuals with too many friends may appear to be focusing too much on Facebook," says the report. Like that poor soul who has 5,000 friends but no one to hang out with on Saturday night. Got 10 pals? Time to come out from under that rock.
We love curly hair, but we also know that profile pics on a dating site of a woman with straight tresses got twice as many views as the same woman in curls. And lest you think it's just a guy thing: In a separate poll conducted by ABC News, 20 out of 22 children who were shown photos of the same woman wearing straight or curly hair preferred the pic of sleek locks.