The first day of school is an exciting time for parents and children around town. As everyone returns, I've seen several posts on my social media feed. Sharing anything related to your children on social media can pose possible risks. Here are a few tips to make sure you're not sharing too much personal information about your children:
Avoid posting too much info on your child. One of the most popular things I've seen are the cute "first-day" signs. The problem with these signs is that they give too much detail like the child's name, grade, school, teacher, and even favorite things. A predator could easily use this information to create a false sense of security with your child. Try this generic version here.
Erase Location Clues. Whenever taking pictures, do not post anything that could identify your home, car, or child's school. If your child wears uniforms, blur the logo for pictures. Additionally, NEVER tag your child's school! Pictures of your child in front of the school sign are also a bad idea.
Turn off geotagging. The geotagging info of a picture contains everything from the photo's time, date, and location.
Don't share pictures of other people's kids without permission. This goes for family and friends. It may be tempting at the birthday party or other family event; however, you should always ask first.
Limit your audience. If you still want to share your photos, think of only sharing them with close friends and family via a photo-sharing app.
Social media has made us feel it is necessary to share and sometimes overshare every detail about our lives. However, it would be best if you always were mindful when posting anything related to your children.
