Bloggers Beware: How To Stay Safe Online

"I know, I know--really...this? I know everything about being safe online." But before you comment "great tips!" and move onto the next blog, I want y'all to really read this...

because it could happen to you.

No one thinks it could happen...until it does.

This post has been sitting in my draft folder for the past 3 years, but after hearing about Kim Kardashian being held up at gunpoint yesterday and robbed of her jewelry, I had to post this. Regardless of your feelings about her, she is a person. And what happened was a scary situation. An extreme one, but it prompted me to share my tips with you.

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A few years ago, at a special screening for influencers, oddly enough, I was watching the movie The Bling Ring. What struck me and initially inspired this post was how the robbers found out the celebs weren't at home via social media. That's how they knew when to go over and rob. That scared the dang crap out of me and made me reevaluate how I approach social media as a blogger.

Straight up--I don't want you to think that I think I'm The Ish and that people give one flip where I am or who I am. I'm no celeb. But y'all, people. are. crazy. People have figured out who my family members are and have followed all of my family online, no matter how little I say. People have figured out my neighborhood. Where I live. That freaked me out. Am I paranoid? Definitely, but I feel safer by following these tips:

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

Make sure your location is off when you post on sites like Twitter and Facebook or Instagram. I see this all the time on a simple status--the map of where you live (or close to it) comes right up. You never know. Is your phone tagging the location of your pictures?

AFTER THE FACT

Snapchat is great, right? The REAL you, no filters or fake backdrops necessary. It's a way to share your life in the moment. But is sharing exactly where you are at any given moment a great idea? Not all the time. If I'm at a blogger event or on vacation, I'll post "in the moment." Sometimes, though, I will post a Snapchat after I've left a location. It all depends.

PASSWORD

Did you know one of the top passwords people use is the name of their pet? It's something to consider--not using anything identifiable like a pet or child's name, if those are commonly discussed on your blog, as a password. 

KIDS

This one is personal--whether to post about your kids or not/share their pics/their names. For many of you, as mommy bloggers, the kids are definitely a part of your blog. Some use fake names or nicknames (really cheesy nicknames sometimes get on my nerves to be honest) or just the use the age. I work as a nanny and don't share anything personal about the kids on my blog.

As far as the kids in my life, like nieces and nephews, I never share anything identifying schools, sports teams they play for, or other specific info about them. I always have permission from the parents first before their pics are on my blog or social media. I have heard situations where pictures from blogs of kids were stolen by individuals and passed off as if the kids were their kids. I recall a situation where a person had an Instagram full of pics that were not their kids or grandkids, but they said they were. One even said the pics were of her dead children in order to gain sympathy.  I'll say it again: people. are. crazy.

AWAY

The mostly-defunct blog, Young House Love, used to never give away that they were on vacation until they were back from it. No Instagram pics while they were there--those were always posted after the fact. I've never gone that route (you will definitely be seeing Disneyland pics coming in a few weeks) but I don't really mention it until after I've left. I don't share my exact schedule when I'm traveling for vacation (ex: "I'll be gone on the 3rd but back on the 11th!"). Sometimes I have a house sitter, but I always make sure the security guard that lives on site knows to patrol where I live--that's not really for being a blogger, though, just being a safe human being. Again, something to consider.

DETAILS

As I've said before, I keep in mind what I post. Avoid those details that might give away where you live or work (address). It's easy since I live in a big city, but I'm still smart about it--my address number isn't in a pic. I don't blog about my neighborhood haunts.  I live near identifiable places but I never share where. I don't Snapchat me inside of my local Starbucks that I go to daily at 9 am (I am giving an example). You won't hear about Instagramming myself alone at night leaving a location. I keep that info to myself. Not everything has to be documented online.

Homes make up the content of many blogs, so be careful about what you share here--to circle back to the Kim Kardashian robbery, supposedly she had Snaps of her jewelry, later stolen by robbers. Another example--I recall a blogger sharing how she organized her home, including her checkbook and its exact location! 

THINK BEFORE YOU POST

The biggest takeaway from this is to be aware of what you are posting. I had someone once figure out where I used to live--that was from me being lazy and not following the tips above. It scared me to death, so now I do a double check before I post anything, anywhere. Better to be safe, than sorry. 

What tip do you have for staying safe online as a blogger?

Extra Elle:

• My annual purchasing of mums for fall happened recently. Loving the cheery yellow flowers as part of my fall decor.

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