The author of a book about online dangers has detailed why parents should never share their kids’ back-to-school photos on the internet.
Lena Derhally, a writer, psychotherapist, and self-proclaimed social media expert from Washington, D.C., has warned moms and dads of the potential risks in posting too much about their children online – pointing out that thieves can attempt to steal youngsters’ identities if they know too much.
She explained that all criminals need to take someone’s persona is a full name, address, and date of birth – which can easily be obtained through things like birth announcements and birthday tributes, as well as back-to-school pictures.
Lena, who is a mom herself, said that while photos commemorating the first day of school are often ‘adorable,’ she certainly advises against them.
The author of a book about online dangers has detailed why parents should never share their kids’ back-to-school photos on the internet
Lena Derhally, a writer and psychotherapist from Washington, D.C., has warned moms and dads of the potential risks in posting too much about their children online
She pointed out that thieves can steal youngsters’ identities if they know their full name, date of birth, and address
‘When I see those photos, I look past the kids and see the dangers lurking behind them,’ she told Insider recently.
Lena is so passionate about the matter that she recently released a book entitled The Facebook Narcissist, which describes ‘how to identify and protect yourself and your loved ones from social media narcissism’ across hundreds of pages.
The author explained that the ‘information we share online’ makes kids ‘an easy target for thieves.’
‘All a thief needs to start stealing an identity is a child’s full name, date of birth, and address,’ she added.
‘They can easily find the first two on social-media profiles that include birthday announcements and other milestones.’
Lena pointed out that while most people don’t share their address on their social media profiles, criminals can sometimes narrow where you live down from clues in yours photos.
‘We’re likely to give hints: showing our mailbox or house number in a photo, showing our child’s school’s name, or even leaving on geotags and location services that reveal where we are,’ she explained.
‘Even a picture with a specific school uniform can help people figure out where you live.’
The self-proclaimed social media expert explained that those can easily be obtained through things like birth announcements and birthday tributes (stock photo)
Lena, who is a mom herself, added that photos commemorating the first day of school can tell thieves, predators, and sex offenders where your child will be
On top of thieves looking to steal your kids’ identities, Lena added that posting images of your kids online can attract ‘predators’ and ‘sex offenders,’ who can use the ‘information you provide’ to ‘groom your child.’
‘Unfortunately, most sexual assaults involve a perpetrator that the victim knows. None of us want to think we have potential offenders in our social-media followings, but the uncomfortable reality is that many of us do,’ she stated.
‘When we share info like a child’s favorite color, dreams, and aspirations, you give predators tools to build rapport with your child.’
She also told Star 999 radio recently, ‘Sometimes, grooming starts with photos parents have shared of their children online. Identifying information can be really dangerous.
‘Even something like a favorite color, you may not be aware but there’s predators out there who are looking at those things and use the sense of familiarity to get comfortable with children. They’ll go to great lengths to do it.’
Lena added to Insider that while she understands that back-to-school pictures can bring parents ‘joy,’ she urged people to think about the ‘risks.’
She suggested narrowing down your following to those you know personally and putting your accounts on private.
She suggested narrowing down your following to only those you know personally and putting your accounts on private
Her other advice to parents included keeping details ‘minimal’ and checking the ‘background’ of photos to ensure there’s no hints as to where you live in them
She said: ‘There’s a big difference between posting pictures of your kids in a closed family group with 20 members and your whole Facebook following that includes thousands of people you barely know in real life.’
‘You can post safely about your children if you want to do that,’ she also told Star 999. ‘Just be very careful about who you’re sharing information with.’
Her other advice to moms and dads included keeping details ‘minimal’ and checking the ‘background’ of your pictures to ensure that there’s no hints as to where you live in them.
‘Stick to your child’s first name, and never include their teachers’ or schools’ names,’ she wrote in her essay for Insider.
‘Make sure your school, home address, and other identifying details aren’t visible.’
Finally, she suggested that if the child is over the age of four, you should ask their permission before sharing a snap of them online.
‘Ultimately, we need to have the best interest of our kids at heart,’ she concluded. ‘This is about respecting their autonomy and their right to privacy and allowing them to decide – when they’re old enough – what type of digital footprint they want.’
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Read more at DailyMail.co.uk