As security breaches continue to pose a threat to peaceful living, police authorities have warned trendy parents against a social media activity that can compromise their kids’ safety.
Every parent wants their child to be safe and, at the same time, they want to flaunt the bundle of joy to their many friends and followers on social media.
These days, many social trends are part of society’s culture. While some may seem innocent, others can pose grave dangers.
A police officer warned parents about a trend on social media. | Photo: facebook.com/McHenryCountySheriff
One recent trend to have swayed the internet and social media users are the “back to school” photos trend, where parents share details of their little ones returning to school after a fun-filled summer.
Every parent would agree that safety comes before trends and would heed the advice of the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office in Woodstock, Illinois, against sharing these trendy photos that reveal too much.
Several cases of danger and threats have been traced to the information shared on social media, and in a bid to protect kids from all sorts of attacks, the police urged parents to refrain from the contemporary culture.
Comment by a user on a Police officer’s warning to parents. | Photo: facebook.com/McHenryCountySheriff
The Facebook post shared by the sheriff’s office showed Deputy Sheriff Tim Creighton holding up a sign in two snaps where he pointed out what not to share to avoid predators. The post read:
“This information – school name, classroom, grade, age, etc. – can all be used by predators…”
The post then went on to suggest not sharing other details like the teacher’s name, the height of the child, and other identifying features alongside overly sensitive details like passwords or security questions.
Comment by a user on the caution given to parents by a Police officer. | Photo: facebook.com/McHenryCountySheriff
Thousands of parents and families responded to the helpful post, with over sixty thousand others hitting the share button, alerting other parents and caregivers of a better way to love and parent their kids.
The post doesn’t suggest that parents should stop sharing photos with their children, but it does warn that it is important to keep identifying information out in the face global security theft.
In an interview, Deputy Sheriff Creighton reportedlynoted that the pictures were shared as a reminder to families to think before they share. He said that it is better to keep personal details to an absolute minimum online.
He pointed out that identity thieves are becoming more common as parents increasingly use their children’s names to create their passwords. Therefore, the safety tips can also help protect parents.
Zinser-Heywood, a cybersecurity expert who teaches in the computer science department at Dalhousie University, echoed Creighton’s points in a post where she warned against providing certain details in social media quizzes.
Some sensitive questions on certain sites could give cyber thieves access to your bank details. Therefore, it is best to be security conscious.