In not-very-surprising results, a recent Lifelock study concluded that “three out of four teens overshare personal information that can make them more vulnerable to online crime.”
The survey asked more than 700 teens ages 13 to 17 about their online habits and assessed their awareness of potentially risky behavior. Here’s what they found. Several types of personal information are being shared too often:
* 29% of those surveyed said they display their full date of birth online; 33% said they display part of their birth date, such as the month and year
* 23% reveal part of their home address and 6% show the full address
* 63% share the name of the school they attend
While teens are aware of the danger of oversharing, in true teenage fashion, they don’t think they’re the offenders. Only 11% admit they reveal too much about themselves, while 46% accuse their friends of sharing too much.
So, what’s a grownup to do? It seems that we need to repeatedly have “the talk” with our teens. The one about online safety and what’s appropriate online behavior. While Lifelock offers a paid service that protects families against identity theft, it is probably other consequences of oversharing that concern parents the most: dangers such as stalkers and teens agreeing to meet an “online friend” in real life.
