Social media has made it so much easier to share important events and milestones with loved ones living in other towns, provinces or countries.
In our excitement at sharing special memories, we often tend to forget about the dangers lurking on the worldwide web – criminals lurking on the internet to steal valuable information that they could use to defraud you out of hard earned money or much worse, to prey on vulnerable children.
In light of this Captain Buks Hanekom, head of the Hermanus Family violence, Child protection and Sexual Crimes (FCS) unit, cautions parents against the danger of “sharenting” – parents who share too much on social media.
“Sharing photos of children on social media comes with some risks,” Hanekom warned. “Each time parents log their children’s milestones, track the children’s movements and broadcast details about their lives on social media, these children’s digital identity become a ‘goldmine’ for unscrupulous criminals.”
Some of the risks associated with sharing too much information on social media include identity fraud and making it easy for predators to gain information about children.
“These online predators are just as big a threat as predators we meet face to face,” Hanekom cautioned.
“One of the most alarming aspects of ‘sharenting’ is that once something is posted or published on social media, there is a risk that some people might be sexually aroused by such information or photos of children.”Hanekom has the following tips for sharing on social media safely:. Think before posting; . check your privacy settings; . double check every photo before you post it;. never share nude or semi-nude photos of children no matter how innocent it might seem to you;. do not tag children in pictures;. create a separate group for family and close friends.
“Responsible parenting is more important than sharing,” he concluded.
