Working in news can make you a little crazy. Since I know how much information reporters gather through social media, I am a tad bit psycho about what I share online. While it does seem like I share a lot, and I do… I am also pretty strategic about certain details of my life. I think if you are putting yourself out there on social media, there are a few safety tips you should at least consider.
1. Check settings on photo apps: Most people have their “location” turned off of their photo setting on their phone, but there are so many other ways you are sharing your exact location without even realizing it. A big offender is the Instagram photo map. If your profile is public, ANYONE can check out your photo map and get a good idea of the areas your frequent. Your favorite restaurants, parks… it’s all on there. To check your photo map, just go to your profile page and click the little map arrow button. Depending on your settings, you may see nothing (how mine is) or you may see hundreds of your favorite locations mapped out for everyone to see. To get those pictures off and fix the settings, just check out this explainer from Instagram.
If you click on the location button on any Instagram profile page, you will see if you’re photos are geotagged
Another big offender is SnapChat. This allows people to see where you and your kids are at that very moment. Sometimes, I just don’t want that, so I put my phone on airplane mode. That way my snaps will “save” but will fail to actually post. Later or when I get home, I just turn the wi-fi back on and repost all those snaps. Boom.
2. Don’t share your kids school information: First day of school pictures are so cute. I love them. But some of the pictures freak me out. I can find out SO much from some of these pictures. Is the school in the background? Is the school name on their shirt? Did you put the teacher’s name on your super cute “Back to School” chalkboard sign? Things you should consider if you have a public Facebook page. Also lots of schools have Facebook pages now, so I see people sharing weekly school calendars or school specific information simply because it includes a picture of their child.
3. Check your picture backgrounds: You may want to think twice before posting a “full frontal” (heehee) picture of your home. Anyone can find where you live with that house number and a tiny bit of research with the help of google street view. Working in news, we track down plenty of people we want to interview by seeing just a quick shot of their home or by a picture. This goes for your car as well. You shouldn’t show your license plate.
4. Don’t share nude pictures of your children: I know, I know toddlers are adorable and often naked. There should be nothing wrong with an cute baby running around sans clothes on your Instagram feed. However, there is a select group of sick people who search out these pictures and repost them in disturbing forums. It does happen. I work in news and have read enough arrest reports to know that police find crap on computers that well-meaning moms shared with the intent that it is only seen by friends and family. Until it isn’t.
The truth is, people can easily find out personal details about you and your family no matter how careful you are on social media. It is just the world we live in today. I’m not telling you this to scare you, just to make you aware. I love social media and I have no problem sharing information about my family and you shouldn’t either, as long as you take a few precautions.
Great tips! I just turned off my location tag- scary that people can just see where you are at all times!
Great advice. Safety is key these days 🙂
These are great tips! I thought I was being careful but I had NO idea about the Instagram map! Thank you so much!
I couldn’t agree more with these tips! It makes me cringe when I see others do these things! Great post.
This is such great advice! It stresses me out so much to think of the sick people out there who want to do my family harm!
Great advice! I couldn’t agree more, especially with being mindful of personal information and what’s in the background when taking pictures such as house numbers etc. Excellent post.
This is such great advice. I’m always concerned about safety when it comes to social media, and I had no idea about the tagging on Instagram. I’m going to check to make sure that is off right now. Thank you!
I’m not gonna lie – I totally stopped reading this to go check my Instagram account. All is well, but thanks for the heads up! This is all really great information!
Didn’t know that about snapchat – that SUCKS! Thanks for the tips!
I hate that location tab! I am always messing around with my kids phone settings and my oldest is 18… I don’t care, it’s my job to do what I can to protect them. Thanks for your tips! 🙂
Excellent tips. Tips to live by. Thanks!
It is always good to do a re-check to make sure you are 100% safe. I NEVER EVER post any kind of location of where I currently am at. It just opens the door for people to rob you behind your back or come to where you are! I usually wait a whole 24 hours to post anything on social media.
Oh I love this! Didn’t know that about Instagram 😬
Such a love hate relationship with the geotag! It helps you gain new followers, but also can get you crazy followers lol…. Ughh sad we live in a world where we have to worry about such things
This is so important for bloggers especially. Thanks for sharing
These are awesome tips! I learned about the geotagging one a while back and had to untag quite a few photos.
These are such important tips. There so many psychos out there that we can never be too careful.
Such a good post!!!!! I had no idea about the geotagging on IG. It was already turned off on my setting but I have definitely tagged myself before at locations. Thankfully, it’s only been when we were on our way back from vacation or in our closest major metro city, which is still very far from our home. Off to go delete that one pic of our house though. Even if one search of our name in the county register would show people, at least they would need to know what county I’m in first. 🙂
SOOOOO important!
great tips, the cyber world can be a dangerous place.
These are great tips. Thank you for sharing!
These are great reminders and things to remember! Thanks for sharing.
Great tips! The backgrounds can sneak up on you.
I know! But that is what we look at all the time when we are trying to track down a person for a news story.
Thank you for the tips! I never thought about the settings on my photo apps! I have to check them now! I remember reading an article about the last tip, I had this adorable photo of Syrus in the bathtub, you couldn’t really even tell he didn’t have clothes on, but once I read that article, I wasn’t taking a chance. People are so sick today.
It really is so sad. A lot of people dont know about the instagram geotagging feature. Super scary stuff!
Great safety tips for parents…and really anyone! I love social media…but it’s also really important to be safe on there!
Thank you for sharing these! I was surprised that I could say I was doing them all! But then again I am a neurotic mom! (and I used to work as a teacher and for child services, which caused me to be that way)