How to protect your kids when posting ‘back-to-school’ pictures on social media

HOUSTON – As kids across Houston get ready for another year of school, many parents are also gearing up for an activity that has become widely accepted as an annual tradition: first day of school pictures of the kiddos.

Many of these back-to-school snaps will find their way on social media platforms, like Facebook and Instagram.

While these posts are made with wholesome intentions, they actually have the potential to put your child in danger.

“Once it’s on the internet, you have no control where it goes from there,” said Captain Jonathan Zitzmann with the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office.

One of the primary risks associated with these posts is revealing your child’s personal information.

While it can be tempting to have your child hold up a chalkboard-themed sign with their full name, school and grade, it is best to keep that information to a minimum to avoid giving a potential predator sensitive information about where to find your child.

“Oftentimes we see first, middle, and last names. We see what elementary school or middle school they go to. We see what grade they’re in,” Zitzman explains.

Harris County Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman posted a graphic naming social media identifiers that could put your child in danger.

This could be dangerous if it ends up in the wrong hands; like someone looking to harm your kids, break into your home when everyone’s away or even target children at school.

Gage Goulding: “Is that a legit worry that you have?”

North Houston woman Sonia Eubanks: “Yeah, I’m always concerned about that. I have grandkids now.”

It’s not just photos that could cause problems. Stickers on your vehicle, or even school spirit signs, can all be all too telling.

“I’m a proud parent. My wife is an educator,” Zitzmann said. “So, we’ve got school spirit and school pride. But, in our opinion, safety comes first.”

If you want to post a picture on social media, a plain photo is perfect. There are also safe, generic signs that don’t give away everything.

If you realize that there’s sensitive information in your pictures after they’ve been taken, have no fear! You can always blur or cover the information before clicking “post!”