Social media safety: Authorities warn of dangers of oversharing online

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Radio personality Drew Walker shares lots of pictures of himself and his wife on social media, but when it comes to his kids, he is generally careful to avoid showing their faces or putting too much information on the internet.

"The McHenry County Sheriff's Department says that's a good idea for safety reasons. They are putting out warnings to parents to limit the personal information they share online. Back to school is an exciting time for kids and parents and many parents like to post pictures from the first day. The department has posted pictures with examples of information that is OK to share, along with information that could be a problem. Like the name of your school or teacher or grade," Walker said.

"Your kid's favorite color, favorite meal, favorite movie. A lot of parents use that stuff as their passwords and security questions," said Deputy Tim Creighton, with the McHenry County Sheriff's Department.

Authorities said the danger of posting too much information ranges from identity theft to attracting potential child predators.

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Abuse victim Jenna Quinn has written a book called pure in heart about her battle to overcome sexual abuse as a child. She is now a leading child safety advocate and the inspiration for state and federal legislation called "Jenna's Law."

"If you're gonna take a picture of your child on their first day of school at their elementary school, now everybody knows what your child looks like, what age, what grade and school they can find your child at," Quinn said.

Authorities said not only should you be careful about the information in the photos you share, but you should also check the privacy settings on your social media to make sure the photos can't be shared.