How involved are you in social media? Do you tweet? Post daily? (let’s be honest, hourly) on Instagram? Are you constantly updating the world of Facebook with your whereabouts, checking in here and there as you make your way through life? Have you mentioned your Spring Break plans? Maybe something like this:
I’m so excited! We just booked a flight to Florida for Spring Break!
That seems innocent enough; but you may have just made yourself a target. Depending on your privacy settings, there may be friends of your friends that now know you will be gone for a week. Someone with a little technical knowledge won’t find it hard to figure out what school district you’re in. All schools have their calendars online these days making it easy to find out exactly when you’ll be gone. Do you ever post photos in or around your house? This makes it easy for others without much trouble to locate where you live. So now they know where your house is located, and when it will be empty. That has the potential for all kinds of negative results.
Simply put, be mindful of who you inform about your plans and be diligent about protecting yourself online. Change your passwords often so you’re less likely to be hacked. Make sure your profiles are private. Don’t accept friend requests from people you don’t know.
Already posted about your Spring Break plans? Have someone you trust check in on the house now and again. Not a bad idea even if you aren’t submerged in social media.
