It's the first day of school, and if you've looked at social media today, it's filled with proud parents posting photos of their kids headed off to class. But you need to be careful what info is included in those photos! Law enforcement officers are warning parents to STOP sharing specifics about their child's school, grade, teachers, etc on social media!
We know you're just proud of your kiddos and want to share the excitement of the first day of school, but by posting too many specifics on social media, you are also sharing that info with people who may be looking to target your child.
We've all seen the pictures of kids holding the cute chalkboard signs with information like their name, their school, what grade, who their teacher is, their interests, and what they want to be when they grow up...predators can use this info to know exactly where your kid is, what classroom they're in, what time they go to or get out of school, even where they'll be after school (if your kid's interest is "baseball," there's a good chance they'll be on the practice field after school lets out).
In addition, be sure the photos you post don't have "meta-data" turned on. Many phones store location data when you take a photo, and often that info posts to Facebook/Instagram when you post the photos to social media. Check your phone settings to disable this feature.
Law enforcement officers suggest keeping the specifics for your own family photo album rather than posting on social media. If you want to post back-to-school pics, leave extra info out of the social media post. Please share this info with other parents so the kids stay safe!
Thumbnail photo: Getty Images