Social Media Safety: What NOT to Post

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Social media is a great place to keep up on current events and reconnect with friends. We all enjoy the cute dog pictures and delicious recipes that fill our news feed, but there are a few things that may not be appropriate to post for the world to see. We suggest that you think twice before posting any of these:

  1. Vacation photos while you are ON vacation: You might as well post “I’m out of town come rob my house” when you post these. People see your beautiful beach toes and can put two-and-two together. To protect your home from unwanted guests, post the pictures once you are home.
  2. Naked Baby Pictures: They are cute, but be careful. There are weirdos out there that might use your child’s picture in harmful ways.
  3. Pictures of other people’s kids: Some people don’t want their kids all over social media. It’s better to respect their privacy, so unless you have their permission, don’t post a picture of their kiddos.
  4. “Check-In’s”: Facebook rolled out this feature in 2010 which allowed you to post exactly where you are at any given time. It might be fun, but it’s another open way for people to either see that you’re not home, or to stalk you in other ways – if you like this feature, we suggest checking in as you’re leaving the restaurant or other location. That way, you can still say you were there, without letting people know when. Don’t do this for places you frequent like, you know, your home.
  5. Personal addresses: Never post anything that can lead a stalker to your neighborhood. For instance, when your friends are engaged and invite you to post your addresses in a Facebook group, it’s better to share that information in a private message. We want to believe that everyone in that group has good intentions, but you can’t always trust that they won’t use your address for inappropriate things.
  6. Anything tied to your social security: Hopefully, this is a no-brainer. Don’t post your credit card information, maiden name, phone number, or anything else that can be tied to your social security card. There are people out there that will do anything they can to steal your identity.

We love social media and want you to have a safe, enjoyable experience online. What are other tips you’ve learned for staying safe on social media?

 

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