TOLEDO, Ohio — The latest back to school trend now comes with posting a photo of your student beside a decorated sign, often including personal information and confidential student information that bad actors could use against you.
These annual photos are meant to celebrate a new school year for students, often acting as a time stamp to compare how much a child has grown over the years.
But photos can include too much information, posing a risk for you and your child. Oftentimes, parents will include information about the school year and the student's interests. This seemingly innocuous information can give bad actors too close a glimpse into your family's life.
"In the age of oversharing, I find it invasive not just for their own privacy but for other kids," said Toledo parent Erin Finnigan.
Be sure to keep information such as the following out of any back to school photos you post online:
- Name of student
- Age of student
- School and teacher names
- Classroom numbers
- Favorite colors, characters and other interests
- City, state and other location-identifying information
Safety experts said if you do choose to post back to school photos online, keep it down to general information, like a first name.
"Always exercise caution when posting any pictures online," said Officer Prince Flores with the Toledo Police Department. "You can also review your privacy settings for social media apps to control who can view your posts."
Parents told WTOL 11 since the trend has become a danger to kids and families, they won't be doing it.
"We don't need to know their favorite color or anything that could put them in danger," said Finnigan. "I think that there's a lot of information that we can just keep to ourselves."
And educators agreed.
"I think it's not safe because they can go up to the child and the child won't know them," said Patricia Pinnix, a teacher a Glass City Childcare. "They could snatch up or kidnap that child."
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