How to keep personal and professional identities separate on social media

[Addison_A]

I've become increasingly concerned about my privacy on social media after a friend found my private Instagram account through a suggested friend list, despite my careful settings, which made me realize how much data these platforms share by default. I'm a teacher, and I want to maintain a strictly separate personal and professional online presence, but the constant changes to privacy policies and opaque algorithms make it feel like a losing battle. For others who are meticulous about their digital boundaries, what are your current best practices across major platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn? How do you audit your existing footprint, manage third-party app permissions, and navigate features like facial recognition or location tagging without completely disengaging from social networks?