Why you should think twice before posting to social media while on vacation

Exploring the risks associated with posting to social media while you’re away on holidays.

Summer is in full swing, which means Canadians are in vacation mode.

Nearly 70 per cent of Canadians plan to head on vacation for at least a few days this summer, according to data from Allstate Canada.

But almost half of those people will likely make a risky mistake.

“Thirty-two per cent of those plan to share details online about their travel, before or during their trips,” says George Ljubicic, the agency manager for Allstate Canada in Kitchener.

The numbers from the insurance company show 51 per cent are between the ages of 18 and 34.

And while many want to bring their followers along for the ride, it’s a practice that can tip off potential thieves and leave your home at risk for break-ins.

“To their credit, a majority of Canadians say that a primary concern is protecting their home from theft while they’re away. A surprising amount, 15 per cent of respondents to this survey, say that sharing on social media is more of a priority for them than the safety of their homes,” says Ljubicic.

The warning comes as data from Allstate shows property theft increasing over the summer and reaching a peak in August.

“I usually don’t post anything on social media when it comes to travels, I’ll post photos of my trip afterwards, but never usually anything while I’m in the specific area,” says Halifax resident William De Courcy-Ireland.

“I don’t think I need to be showing everyone where I am in the moment. I’d rather just enjoy it while I’m there and then make a post afterwards.”

Ljubicic says there are ways to post vacation content wisely.

“Just delay sharing the details about your vacation adventure online, until you come back. A lot of people will also post countdowns… so they’ll post a countdown of how many days until the next trip. I would probably avoid posting something like that,” he says.

Other tips include removing your geolocation from pictures, avoiding images of your street address or phone number, setting social media accounts to “private” and reviewing your home insurance policy to ensure you’re covered if a break-in or theft happens while you’re gone.