School is almost back in session and while back to school photos or the first day of school photos can be lots of fun especially for relatives or friends that view them you also need to be very careful about the information that you are sharing with people that you and your child don’t know on social media.
It’s not your child being in the photo that is the problem, it’s what is behind them and the supplementary information you are providing : Be aware of confidential information that you might unconsciously sharing with strangers. Think about factors like where am I taking the photo, is my letterbox or house number in the photo, is my house easily recognisable, are there any easily identifiable landmarks in the picture, is my child’s school badge/school name on their uniform, is my car or my car license plate number in the photo…. (most of the above information can be blurred, altered or emojis can be placed over them in the picture)
Among some of the things NOT to include in your child’s photos you post on social media :
- The name of your child’s school
- The age of your child
- Your child’s classroom, classroom number or school
- Their Teacher’s name
- Personal information, something as innocent as “Tommy can’t wait to get back to school and catch up with all his soccer mates from the XYZ club” or “Great that Michelle is in class with her bestie Jane from 123 cheerleading” (Location settings on the photo information
- To give you some idea – A 2020 study in the UK by Parent Zone showed that the average parent posts about 1,500 pictures of his or her child by the time they turn 5…
- Every parent wants the best for their child but parents don’t forget that you might be causing your child some real embarrassment in 15-20 years’ time when their workplace can easily access their cute 1st day at school picture straight off the net!!
- Be sure to talk to your kids about oversharing information on the net/social media and make sure to check privacy settings on all your social media, and photo settings on your phones and devices at the same times.
- By all means celebrate the fact your child/children is going back to school but be sure to pause for a second before you share or think about sharing the pic on social media and please be aware what personal info you are sharing with strangers….Most people overshare information on social media without realising how much they have shared.
If you need information on how to keep you and your whanau safe on the internet then visit the following websites for information: