Mom always said 'don't talk to strangers'. Now mom is on facebook having a argument with some lady about the best way to get your kids to eat dinner... someone she has never met...
Shannon got a new car, back in the day, we would wait months to see it, we would have to wait until Shannon came by or we went to her house.
Scroll through your feed and you will likely offer a /Congrats on your new house' and 20 'likes' later, another comment of 'hows that vacation?' Oh nice new iphone, sleek shoes, is that a tiffany necklace in your selfie? The list goes on
We have become so accustomed to sharing our whole life, celebrating monumental events on social media, we often don't think of the ramifications, the possibel risks we could be putting ourselves in.
Home Invasion/burglary:
We have all been temped or tempted fate by putting our vacation pictures online. Movies have been made, Paris Hilton was a victim... by stating you are away, you put yourself and your home at risk.
Not away? Highlighting your brand new tv or your extensive amounts of top of the line electronics can be tempting and should likely not be in the forefront of your pictures.
Vehicle Theft
So you have a new truck, a new sports car in the garage... match that with some careless posts and you never know when you could be a victim. Our local authorities have been running campaigns on safety, keeping valuables out of your vehicle and how to keep your vehicle safe... We forget a lot of that once we want to boast about our new purchase.
Habits and Rituals
If the world knows you 'are out at your Wednesday night meeting' or that you never miss a wing night at the local pub, you put YOU at risk. Not only will a burglar know you are not home, but they will know exactly where to find you...
Keeping yourself a little more safe
If you want to post your vacation pictures, wait until after you are home.
Consider your social media settings, is everything public?
Do you want your address posted if you are showing off the contents?
Switch it up...
Try not to leave items/gifts/electronics in plain sight of your windows
Get an alarm.
A little mystery never hurt.
It doesn't hurt to save, not share, keep secret and not show off... we can all benefit from a little more mystery.
Julie Boake
awedity creative