I am an oversharer, it’s the reason I blog. I think it would be hard to find a blogger who doesn’t overshare. Whether it’s blogging what we have eaten or what our children have done this week we are all guilty of it. I do have self-imposed limits though, I try not to blog about things the children have done that will embarrass them when they are older and Lee doesn’t feature much in the blog as he prefers to remain somewhat anonymous. However, I am very aware that I am leaving a cybersized footprint across social media. I use instagram, facebook, twitter, google + and pinterest. I have definitely become more tech savvy as a result and social media is now a big part of what I do and how I am. I don’t google myself (often) but I know Emma and 3 will be there.
Staying safe online is a message I drill into my children and I hope they take note, but I am not naïve enough to think that I know everything about my thirteen year old daughter and her social media. We have rules like I can follow her accounts, but still it can be a risky place. As adults we have got quite good at shredding documents and taking a proactive role in the fight against identity theft yet the online activities can also pose a threat.
When I started blogging, I suddenly became friends with a whole host of people that live all across the UK and a few ‘friends’ in other countries. When I first told Lee and friends that I was going to a blogging conference, they questioned how well I actually knew these people. I got their concern but have built up great friendships over the internet and I am someone that knows not to get myself in vulnerable situations and quickly dismissed their concerns. However you do need to be sensible and I don’t accept friend requests from people I don’t know or have never had contact with. What I didn’t realise was just how easy it is to use social media to adopt someone’s identity.
Information on social media has been used to reissue a person’s driving licence and even simple pay day loans. That could be a nasty surprise for someone. It has made me think a little more about what I share. I don’t give out personal information and my location and date of birth is not publicised, but I guess there are ways of finding that if I wasn’t careful.
Therefore although I love social media and will continue to over share my families adventures I will bear in mind what personal details are shared.
6 Responses
This is something that worries me from time to time, I don’t think people realise what a huge virtual footprint they leave behind x
It does worry me and I am always conscious of the photos I share publicly but having a driving licence reissued is scary!
This is a very important post and something I think a lot of people don’t realise, they take it for granted that it wont happen to them.
I have to say this is something that worries me deeply too. I think my blog will also have to change as the kids get older as I am very anxious never to publish things they would later be embarrassed by. But I do love blogging and , with that, there has to be a certain amount of sharing or it just won’t ring true and, equally, what would be the point?
eeeek, it’s scary isn’t it? I do worry a lot about my online footprint. x
I try not to overshare, but you make a great point that it would be hard to find a blogger that doesn’t (and I did recently write about my little boys’ poo pants song, so you’re right!), but this is a subject that frightens me too. My eldest is 8 and encouraged to be on line at school – with no qualms whatsoever – so the educating starts early – as much as for me as him, in order to be able to protect him. Thanks for this 🙂