Do your children know the risks of oversharing on social media?

Kids today are growing up in a world in which updating your friends on your every move is totally acceptable, if not expected. Posting to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat about where you are, what you’re doing and who you’re doing it with is par for the course. And while that might be a fun way to stay connected and share your memories with others, it can also be pretty risky.

What’s one of the best things you can do to keep your home safe when you’re on your next vacation? Not talking about it on Facebook until you’ve returned home. Believe it or not, your online presence is a huge factor in keeping your home safe and secure. Without even realizing what you’re doing, you may be divulging information on the internet that is practically an invitation to burglars.

Most adults probably know better than to broadcast on Facebook when they’re going to be out of town. Kids, however, might not realize the consequences of doing so. Sharing a post that says, “Heading to Hawaii with the family!” may just seem like a good way to let their friends know how excited they are for vacation. But the truth of the matter is, they just told the world that their house is going to be empty for a considerable amount of time.

It’s so important to teach your children about home safety. You’ve probably already gone over an emergency plan for fires, and taught your kids how to call 911. Perhaps you’ve even taught them how to arm and disarm your alarm system. But it’s just as important to teach them to be careful about how they’re using social media.

Make sure you take the time to explain to your children what kind of posts could leave your home vulnerable to intruders. Broadcasting that someone is home alone, saying that your family is headed to or already on vacation, or sharing any kind of personal information is highly dangerous. Have a talk with your family about internet safety — and don’t forget to mention home safety, too.