Back-to-school season means social media is filled with proud parents posting first-day photos — but those pictures can sometimes reveal more than you realize.
With just a few quick changes, families can still capture those memories without putting their children at risk.
Even the smallest details can make us more visible than we realize online.
“We make ourselves accessible to a whole world of unknown,” Sgt. Matthew Kelly with the Roanoke City Sheriff’s Office said.
Every year, parents love taking those classic back-to-school photos with signs, but Kelly says including details like your child’s school, age, or teacher can put them at risk for predators.
“As you include your age, your teacher and school, those are those identifiers that someone online can use to reach out to you and pose as possibly a classmate, strike up that conversation,” Kelly said.
Kelly says that even a quick photo in front of your home can give away your child’s exact location.
“We include the house to a point where it includes house numbers. And then it’s easy to spot that house in your area,” he said.
You can still capture those back-to-school memories, you just need to think about what’s in the frame and remove anything that could give away personal information.
“Without that last name, that social media search instantly becomes harder. If I jump on Instagram or Facebook right now and search ‘Abbie,’ I’m going to get countless returns. Then, by not having the school or grade you’re in, it’s so much harder for me to try and track you down,” he said.
But protecting kids online isn’t just about what parents post — it’s also about how kids use social media themselves.
“Go in. Be that annoying parent. Go through the chat histories, make sure you know who it is they’re following, who’s following them. Look at the messages they’re sending. Make sure we’re not sliding into the online bullying,” he said.