With all of the different ways of expressing oneself in today’s world, there are so many ways to tell the world about yourself. Unfortunately, there is such a thing as oversharing. Constantly, people are warning others of the dangers of sharing too much information on their social media accounts. Too much stuff posted online can give random strangers the information they need to take advantage of someone.
One thing that people may not have considered, or is often overlooked, is how much they share with people on a daily basis without realizing it. A perfect example of this would bumper stickers. These fun little items allow a person to express themselves and showoff what they love and care about. Unfortunately, this can have some negative side effects just like over sharing information online.
How Much Information Are You Giving to Other Drivers?
The biggest issue with posting information online is that a person never knows who will see what they posted. Even with the proper privacy settings, someone else may stumble along and find access to the posted information. Privacy settings are not fool proof.
It’s obvious to see why people are warned about oversharing online. However, no one stops to consider what they might be sharing with the world every single day. Bumper stickers are a perfect example of this. Most people don’t think twice about them. However, these little stickers on the back of a car can give out a lot of information to random strangers. If one of those strangers has any criminal intent, they could easily use the information provided to their advantage.
One example of this oversharing would be the very common: “My student is an honor student at______ school.” This little sticker tells everyone where a person’s child goes to school. This is the kind of information that parents would rather keep quiet from strangers, and yet proudly announce it to everyone they drive by on the road.
Another example would be the stick figure families often seen on back windshields. Depending on the stickers themselves, these can give away a lot of information about a family. An obvious proof of this is that some of these stickers have the names of each family member. An adult with ill intentions could easily use that information against small children.
If the kids on the stickers are shown with certain sporting equipment, it can reveal that the family is out often for games and practice. This means the house will be empty, making it easier to break in.
If one of the parents in the stickers is shown to be in military uniform, then that says that parent is away a lot. This provides a criminal with even more opportunities to break into a house.
Even having the pet could tell a crook what type of dog they might encounter when breaking in, and even give them the dog’s name.
Consider What You Put on Your Car Carefully
Everyone is very aware of the fact that they should not overshare information online, but they also need to be aware of what they are sharing with other drivers. Bumper sticker can be a great way for a person to express themselves, but they can also be a form of oversharing. Without realizing it, some people have inadvertently given strangers far more information than they would have liked to.
When putting bumper stickers on a vehicle, a person should consider what sort of information that sticker may be giving to strangers. As long as it doesn’t give too much away, it should be safe to put on the back of a car without worry.
Do you have any bumper stickers on your vehicle that might be giving away more information than you’d care to admit? Are you considering removing them, or is this not a big deal to you?