Using social media

What’s Facebook?

Facebook is the most popular social media platform. It allows you to create a personal profile where you can share your thoughts, pictures, videos and interests on your 'timeline' with your friends and family.

You'll also be able to see what they're posting, so it's a good way to keep in touch. You can also follow organisations and public figures to see their posts, and join local groups to find out about local events or discuss community matters.

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How do I set up a Facebook account?

To create a Facebook account:

1. Go to Facebook.com and click on 'Create New Account'.
2. Enter your name, email address or mobile phone number, date of birth and gender.
3. Choose a strong password.
4. Click 'Sign Up'.
5. Confirm your email or mobile phone number. To confirm your email address, you'll get sent an email from Facebook with a verification link to click on. To confirm your phone number, you'll get sent a text message with a code that you'll then need to enter on Facebook.com.

You can then add a profile picture and start connecting with friends and family. There are different ways to add friends on Facebook:

• Use the search bar on the top of the Facebook page and type your friend's name, then click on the Add as a Friend button. They will then have to confirm your request.
• If you link your mobile phone number to your account, Facebook will suggest people to add from your phone contacts (if they have a Facebook account with their phone number linked)
• Once you start adding friends, Facebook will suggest 'People you may know'. This is based on the friends you have in common. If you add information about yourself, like the school or university you went to or your workplace, Facebook will suggest people from the same networks.

You can download Facebook as an app on your phone or tablet, as well as through an internet browser. Read our tips on downloading apps.

Tips for using Facebook

Sending messages on Facebook from a computer

You can send messages to a friend or to a group of friends. These are only visible to the people in the conversation. To do this from the Facebook website on your internet browser:

1. Log in to Facebook
2. From the Facebook homepage, click on 'Messenger' in the left-hand menu.
3. Click on the symbol that looks like a pencil and paper to start a new message.
4. Type the name of the person you want to talk to in the ‘to’ box
5. Names of your friends will appear in a list, and you can select the person or people you want to talk to.
6. Write your message, and press enter or click the symbol that looks like an arrow to send.
7. Once you have sent a message to someone, the conversation will appear in a list, which you can select and send messages from next time.

Sending messages on Facebook from a tablet or smartphone

If you want to send messages from your smartphone or tablet, you will need to download the Messenger app (from the Google Play Store if you have an Android phone, or the App Store if you have an iPhone).

1. Open the Messenger app from your menu and log in using your Facebook username and password.
2. To send a message to someone new, use the search bar at the top to find them, then select the person you want to talk to from the list.
3. You can type messages and tap the blue arrow to send.
4. To share pictures, tap on the symbol that looks like a photograph and choose a photo that you've taken to share.
5. You can also call people through Messenger by tapping on the symbol that looks like a phone, make video calls by tapping on the symbol that looks like a video camera.

Making calls through Facebook Messenger

To make phone or video calls on Facebook from a smartphone or tablet, you will need to download the Messenger app (from the Google Play Store if you have an Android phone, or the App Store if you have an iPhone).

1. Open the Messenger app from your menu and log in using your Facebook username and password.
2. Use the search bar at the top to find the person you want to call, then select them from the list.
3. To make a voice call, tap on the symbol that looks like a phone.
4. Make a video call by tapping on the symbol that looks like a video camera.

Uploading photos to Facebook

Facebook is a great way to share photos with family and friends.

1. At the top of your timeline on the Facebook homepage, click or tap on 'Photo/Video'.
2. Select the photos you want to share from your device.
3. You can click on the symbol of a blue person to 'tag' friends.
4. You can click on the red pin to add a location.
5. Select your audience (it's usually best to share this just with Facebook friends) then click 'Post'.

Finding events on Facebook

Using Facebook is a good way to find out what is going on locally. You might get invited to an event, which will give you the details of when and where an event is happening.

To find events that you might be interested in going to:

1. From the Facebook homepage, click 'Events' in the left-hand menu.
2. Click 'Discover Events'.
3. You can filter the events by category, time and location to find what is happening near you.

Joining Facebook Groups

Facebook groups enable you to find people with similar interests or connect with people locally. If you’re already involved in local groups or activities, you might find they already have a Facebook group. They allow you to keep updated on topics and share information with a group of people, who you don't have to be Facebook friends with.

To join a group:

1. From the Facebook homepage click on 'Groups' in the left-hand menu.
2. You might have been told the name of the Facebook group to join. Type this in the search bar at the top, or type in some keywords for the group you're looking for.
3. Select the group then click on ‘join group’.
4. You may have to wait until someone approves your request for the group.

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