Indiana Police Warns Against First Day of School Photo Trend

School is back in session for the 2026/2027 year this week. So, here is your friendly reminder to be careful of what you post in those back-to-school photos on social media.

Summer break is nearing its end. It feels like just yesterday, the kiddos were getting out of school and eager to take advantage of summer. Then before you knew it, summer break was over. This week, the kids will be returning to school. By now, you might have already started back-to-school shopping for clothes and supplies so the kiddos will be looking sharp on their first day back.

Over the past few years, there has been a trend on social media in which parents take photos of their kids on the first day of school, posing with a sign to celebrate the start of a new school year. You've seen these signs before, the ones that say their name, grade, teacher, hobbies, and more. Innocent and cute photo opportunities to post on social media. However, this information, in the wrong hands, could potentially put your child in danger. These signs could be revealing more personal information about your child than you realize, and can all be used by predators, scammers, and other people looking to endanger your child, family, or finances.

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Be Careful What You Post on the First Day of School

We've all seen those photos on social media; heck, you might have taken photos of your kids with those first-day-of-school signs. I get it, you're proud of your child, especially if this is their first year of school. However, this world is a scary place, and with social media as big as it is, there are so many ways in which people can use what you post against you in some way, shape, or form.

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Each year, around back-to-school time, posts go viral from law enforcement agencies warning parents not to share so much information in these photos. So, consider this your friendly reminder why these back-to-school photos that you post on social media should be taken with caution. While the posts may be from a year ago, the warnings are still relevant.

Another example comes from the Lafayette, Indiana Police Department. You can check it out below.

These are some things to consider before posting that photo of your kid on the first day of school. This isn't to discourage you from posting photos like this, just be mindful of the information you put out there. You can omit certain answers on the board, or you can blur them out before posting online.