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Sharing on social media: How much is too much?

People post on social media to stay connected, but could certain posts might hurt us in the long run

ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) – Seventy-two percent of Americans use social media, and in January of 2019, there was an average of 500 million posts onto Instagram stories a day. It’s clear that we love to share what is going on in our lives, but should certain things be kept secret? We have the details on when posting too much about yourself can result in dangerous consequences.

Puppies, babies, family photos, positive reinforcement, and just plain silly stuff. People post on social media to stay connected, but could certain posts hurt us in the long run?

“It’s only a snapshot of anyone’s life, and you get to pick what snapshot,” said Kara Bagot, MD, a child and adolescent psychiatrist.

Don’t share your future or current travel plans. You never know which of your followers are burglars and will break in when your home is empty. Instead, wait until after the trip is over. If you have kids, don’t post about where they go to school or what their extracurriculars are. It will give kidnappers time to come up with a plot to lure your children into their car. Be wary of sharing about your new expensive purchase. People may try to take advantage of you, knowing you have extra cash, or they may try to steal it!

Speaking of location, you may have your camera tracking your every move without even realizing it! Before you post, make sure it doesn’t add the location automatically. You can turn off your iPhone’s geolocation by going to Location Services, then Camera, and choose the option Never.

Sources: https://www.oberlo.com/blog/social-media-marketing-statistics https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/social-media/ https://blog.smarp.com/why-and-what-people-share-on-social-media-infographic https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/9-things-never-share-social-media/ https://www.imore.com/how-disable-geotagging-camera-app-iphone-and-ipad

Contributor(s) to this news report include: Addlyn Teague, Producer; Bob Walko, Videographer and Editor. To receive a free weekly email on Smart Living from Ivanhoe, sign up at: http://www.ivanhoe.com/ftk

RELATED: If you’re ‘doomscrolling’ social media, here’s how to take control


About the Authors

Gaby has been a news producer since 2019. She graduated from the University of North Texas with a Media Arts degree and previously worked at KIII-TV in Corpus Christi.

Stephanie Serna headshot

Stephanie Serna is a weekday anchor on Good Morning San Antonio and GMSA at 9 a.m. She joined the KSAT 12 News team in November 2009 as a general assignments reporter.

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