COMMENTARY: Examining the dark side of oversharing on social media

In today’s society, having a social media account is anything but rare. Everyday people from all generations take to one of the many platforms to share their lives with friends and family, or in many cases, complete strangers.

With so many eager to share their private lives with the world, more should be stopping to ask the question of how much sharing is too much. While social media is an amazing tool for interacting and spreading creativity, there are certain dangers that come along with posting one’s every move to social media. Users may be unknowingly opening themselves up to become a target by giving predators and criminals a road map to their lives.

One of the most prevalent dangers of oversharing on social media is being preyed on as a result of telling the world one’s exact location at any given moment. The majority of users will tag their location and post in real-time.

While this may seem inconsequential, the common practice allows the opportunity for stalking, or even kidnapping to take place, as has been shown through many cases. Posting exactly where you are in the moment provides an opening for people to arrive at the destination with any intent they please.

In 2017, a stalker murdered his ex-girlfriend after using her social media posts to track her movements throughout the day. While this story may seem like something out of a horror film, it is just one of the hundreds of stories about social media stalking that have been reported.

The fear is that social media users may be over-concerned with sharing their “Instagram-worthy” location, and not concerned enough with their own well-being and safety. The danger of predators is very real and should not be bypassed for the sake of showcasing one’s hiking trail or trendy brunch spot.

Another unsettling danger of sharing too much on social media is the prospect of theft occurring. While social media users are quick to post about their vacations and date nights, they are unknowingly opening themselves up to become a target of theft by plainly stating that they are, in fact, not home. Many criminals will use social media as a tool in order to determine when is a good time to break into a home is.

Even celebrities have fallen victim to this approach, having their homes burglarized after posting about being on vacation. Kim Kardashian West was famously targeted in Paris, France, as a result of posting her expensive jewelry on Instagram for the world to see. A group of men were able to see exactly where she was in Paris and followed her back to her hotel room where they held the reality TV star at gunpoint and took all of her jewels. Kardashian West says now that she regrets oversharing on social media and blames herself for the Paris incident.

While social media may come with dangers, there are easy ways to avoid becoming a target while still enjoying the interactive nature of the platforms. One of the easiest ways to ensure that users can post their content while remaining safe from predators and criminals is waiting until they are home to post videos or photos.

Users should feel free to snap photos and take videos while out, but wait to post them on the Internet until they are no longer at the location and back safe at home. This easy approach could make all the difference and will not put a damper on the fun of sharing on social media.

Another tip to stay safe is making sure that the videos and pictures that are put online do not contain any private information in the background. License plate numbers, home addresses or even recognizable structures can all be used by predators and criminals to locate their targets.

These quick tips will help ensure that users are not putting themselves in danger while using social media. For additional tips on how to stay safe while using social media visit www.nortonsecurityonline.com