MIDLAND COUNTY, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) – When it comes to back-to-school safety, the Midland County Sheriff’s Office is asking West Texas parents to think before posting photos of their kids on social media.
“We want to make sure we don’t put their names out there, dates of birth, what school they’re going to, because we don’t know who’s watching and monitoring those posts,” said Midland County Sheriff David Criner.
The Midland County Sheriff’s Office knows it’s tempting for proud parents to post pictures of their kids on social media, especially with back-to-school celebrations in full swing, but they want parents to hold back when it comes to identifying information.
“We need to keep schools safe, and part of school safety is reminding everybody that they’re the eyes and the ears. Let’s protect our children,” said Sheriff Criner.
The Midland County Sheriff’s office wants local parents and guardians to know that they’re the first line of defense when it comes to protecting kids from online predators. That means ditching school photos that include a child’s name and age, the school’s name, a teacher’s name and grade, and other forms of overly personal information.
Sheriff Criner also recommends that parents adjust their social media privacy settings so only friends and relatives can see shared photos.