As the weather begins to warm up and chase away the cold winds of winter, people begin to emerge from their hiding places of warmth and safety. Spring allows people to venture outside once again and enjoy some fresh air. The season signals the end of winter and heralds in the warmer months of summer.
With the inevitable approach of summer inching closer, people begin to make their plans for the season, namely their vacations. Everyone needs to take a break from their day to day lives from time to time, and a vacation allows this. It is a chance to break away from the normal and have an adventure, or just a chance to relax. No matter what a person chooses to do on their vacation, they know they will have fun.
As with anything that is exciting in a person’s life, there is an intense desire to share the experience with loved ones. While this used to mean having them come along on the trip, nowadays, it can simply mean posting about the vacation on social media. However, doing so can actually cause problems for the person in question.
Talking About Trips Online Can Be An Invitation For Thieves
With all of the social media sites and apps out there, it can be hard for a person not to share their life with others. It has practically become second nature to share with others online. This can be a bit problematic when it comes to vacations. Anyone going on a vacation wants to post about it, however, they may be sharing this information with the wrong people.
Social media sites are great because they allow us to share with the world. Unfortunately, this means that world has access to information about us as well. While, for the most part, only loved one look at one another’s social media, thieves have learned to use these sites to their advantage. For instance, posting the dates of an upcoming trip tells a would-be thieve exactly when the house is going to be empty.
It is very important for people to realize that they can overshare information. As a general rule of thumb, most people are aware that they should never share personal information, such as a home address or social security number, online. However, it is also a good idea to not post about upcoming or current trips as doing so could be an open invitation for thieves. It is a good idea for people to not share the specific dates of their vacation online. They also shouldn’t share vacation photos until after they have returned home since doing so during the trip is just another sign that the person isn’t home.
Having social media accounts set so that only approved people can see what is posted is a good idea, but not always foolproof. Sometimes friends, who may or may not have strict privacy settings, can share information with their friends. This could make it so that thieves still learn when a person isn’t home.
Don’t Overshare About Your Vacation
Everyone needs a little vacation from time to time. However, no one wants to come home from their relaxing trip to find that their home has been robbed. That would completely erase the relaxation felt from the trip and cause an untold amount of stress. In order to avoid that unnecessary stress, a person should be careful about what they post online about their vacations and other planned trips. They do not want to advertise to the world that their home will be empty for the next few days. Thieves see that as an open invitation to let themselves inside.
Since talking about any upcoming summer trips online is a bit of a bad idea, why not share some of your favorite vacations.
What is your favorite summer trip that you think others would enjoy?
Let us know in the comments down below.