We've all been there - buying a new luxury item and immediately wanting to share multiple photos on Instagram to show it off. Or, being on vacation and wanting to post about your resort, and how amazing the experience/view is. 

This has all been termed as 'flex' culture - wanting to showcase the best version of ourselves online possessing the finest products, and living an amazing luxury lifestyle. 

However, the rise of flex culture with social media has created an issue related to the protection of a person's privacy and safety. 

Remember the famous 2016 Kim Kardashian Paris robbery? The Kardashian business mogul recently spoke out about the incident in an interview with David Letterman where she stated that the thieves were planning the robbery and following her for months prior. They saw her share photos online of her jewelry and her whereabouts, which helped them plan their attack.

Recently, it was also reported that the Saudi Princess was a victim of a robbery. After being away from home for a few months, she came home to see that '...30 Hermès bags worth €50,000, expensive jewellery including a Cartier watch worth €8,000..." all were stolen from her property. Public reports of her traveling/not being home most likely may have contributed in the planning of the robbery, along with knowledge about the value of her luxury handbag collection.

Although these situations may sound 'extreme,' they still caution us to think about how we can remain safe on social media, and be mindful of what we share. 

To help protect your safety and privacy online, we've created a list of our top tips that highlight preventative measures to avoid the dangers of oversharing on social media. 

1. Limit Posting Your High-End Bags/Items on Social Media

Have an impressive luxury handbag collection at home?

It might be best to limit posting multiple stories and photos of your collection if you have a public Instagram page, as it can put you at risk of being a victim of a home robbery. Similar to the Kim Kardashian Paris Robbery we mentioned earlier, if robbers follow your social media, they can use the photos you share to estimate the total re-sale value of your handbags, and follow/target you to get more information to plan and execute a robbery, which leads us to our next tip.

2. Be Cautious of Sharing Your Location

This tip is important for everyone's safety, not just luxury bag and jewellery addicts.

It's important to turn off location services on social media, and be cautious of sharing key landmarks, or other hints related to your whereabouts/your home. 

Earlier last year, there was a report that a group of thieves used social media to find homes with high-end art to plan several burglaries. The report stated that the thieves used Instagram stories and posts to locate and visit homes that had high-value art pieces. Key landmark indications in photos and videos, or views of the exterior appearance of the homes/front gates could have helped the thieves find each location. 

This is why it's important to be cautious of any clues or hints you share on a daily basis regarding your whereabouts if you have a public Instagram account. You can never be certain who is keep track of your posts, and what their intentions are.

3. Avoid Real-Time Posts of Vacations 

Whenever you are leaving your home for an extended period of time for a vacation, do not share stories/posts in real-time. This can also tip off criminals that follow/stay up to date with your social media, and provide them with an opportunity to plan a burglary, knowing that you are away from home. 

Instead, while on vacation, take photos and snaps, and simply save them to share on social media once you are safely home. If you want to be even more cautious, you can share a few photos during your vacation that make it seem like you are still at home. 

4. Limit Sharing Personal Information

Some influencers don't use their real names on social media, and instead create nicknames/unique usernames to use/display on their social media accounts. 

The benefit of doing so helps create an extra layer of privacy, as it will limit the amount of information strangers can access about you online. 

If you use your real name, people can easily do a quick Google search to find out what city you reside in, where you work, and other details, which can put your safety at risk. 

Stay safe, and be mindful of how much you share on social media 

We hope you found these tips to be helpful! As bag addicts ourselves, we love having a luxury bag collection and wanting to show it off. However, it's important to understand the risks that come with sharing too many photos online related to your purchases, because as we stated earlier, you never really know who is watching.