It’s happening again…. my search terms on my blog are showing some alarming things.
It appears that there are many out there who regularly type “tween selfies” into search engines and find themselves at my blog.
I am horrified that this is continuing to happen.
Today I was going to blog about “Happiness” and instead I find myself blogging about my feelings of horror at this time.
There is much to be said for correctly tagging your posts however the other night after looking at my stats, I typed “tween selfies” into google images and the first image I found was one of my tween with the cat.
I have since gone through my blog and deleted the post that was all about my tween and her selfie photos. Unfortunately it is also the post that featured her beautiful art work. I will continue to talk about her (she’s a Teen this year lol) but there will be no further photos unless her face is not recognisable. I can’t believe that I have to take steps to do this.
I have also removed any tags that say ‘tween’ or ‘selfie’ from my posts. I have had over 200 hits on the post I wrote about “Internet – Friend or Foe” in the past week alone. This post is the one in which I talked about the issue of selfies. All images (and no, they weren’t of my daughter) have been removed from that post also. Now I need to warn my daughter once again about the perils of the internet.
What does this say about society today? Whilst it is absolutely wonderful that the internet has evolved into something that is fabulous and allows us all to touch base with people across the world in real time, it has proved once again just what a dangerous tool it can be in the wrong hands. I’m devastated.
Like every blogger I love to see my blog hits increase however if this is the kind of traffic arriving at my site, I would rather that my hits drop.
Okay, this is a short one today. I am upset, appalled and yes – HORRIFIED.
Please all, take care with your blogs – and particularly your tagging.
suzjones.wordpress.com 
I’m grateful that WordPress allows us to see the search terms which lead people to our sight. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have known about the potential danger to your tween.
On a lighter and related note, myself and Patti Walsh were having some fun one day making up an alphabet of imaginary medication names. It started with “Anxietram”, a completely fictitious name we thought would be appropriate for an anxiolytic drug. Over the weekend, someone googled “anxietram” and ended up at my site. Hilarious!
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Okay, that’s just so funny! It had to have made you smile.
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You betcha! š Perhaps Phizer were fishing around for new names … I’ll let you know if a royalty cheque arrives, ho ho
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Too funny. š
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I would guess that very few people stumbling onto your site are predators, but I do understand why you want to be careful. You’ll have to do a post of your daughters artwork without including her picture.
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What scared me is that the search term ‘tween selfie’ is right at the top of my most popular search terms.
But you are right. I am going to have to do another post just about her artwork.
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It definitely is a worry Sue. Thanks for the heads up xx
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You’re welcome Diana.
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Sobering, isn’t it? I am lucky to have had 30 years of RCAF security drilled into my thinking. I was aware of potential dangers of social media information from the start.
Some of the ‘tween selfie searches may have been innocent in nature, though. Could have been ‘tweens wondering what their peers were up to in social media.
Or not.
To be safe, think of “loose lips sink ships” and apply it to the information age. You can also consider the historical basis to the USN submarine service adage of “run silent, run deep.”
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Thank you for making me smile with your military references Nav. lol
You are very right. Some of those searching may well have been completely innocent but one never knows.
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Exactly, Think the best, but plan for the worst. Serenity AND peace of mind.
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Great for your tween, soon teen, that you are so much awake Sue. We need to be aware of what kind of photos we upload and our tags. I would like to see your daughters artwork anyway, just without her photo. She will learn by time how to navigate online, but it is easy to meet not the right people for her.
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I wish I could stop her from accessing the internet altogether but that would be too much for her.
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eeeeks! scary. i don’t want to know what search terms lead to my blog now…..
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Some of the search terms I find are downright weird.
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Shucks! We have to be so careful everywhere …
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I know right?
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Suz, I’ve had some weirdly funny search terms, but have also had some disturbing ones. I recall that one was ‘naked aunt slept with me’. I’m guessing that person was might disappointed with my blog.
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More than likely I would say they would lol
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As I mentioned at a blog or two previously about search terms…you’d FREAK OUT if you could see some of the terms used over at my place, kids! My area of ‘expertise’ tends to get some really disturbed individuals, generally. This blogosphere realm shows me that it is no exception. Weirdos abound! If only they could know what protection they have here in anonymity! And how lucky they are.
Bwahahaha!
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I can only imagine what sort of sick terms bring people to your blog CJ. That’s downright scary.
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I have a few questions:
First, how do you tag your blogs? Do you mean that mean people are typing phrases that are in your blog and finding your blog?
Second, Have you had negative traffic to your blog? Have you received rude comments or emails regarding your tween?
Just curious. I feel like I’m always learning things about the blogging world. Personally, if “tween selfie” was bringing traffic to my blog I wouldn’t mind unless it was negative. I don’t post pictures that I think anyone would find inappropriate.
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Hi there.
You tag your posts. Your tags make it easier for search engines to pick up. Hope that makes answers the first question.
Secondly, although I haven’t had any rude comments or emails I am worried that someone a little more tech savvy than I am might be able to track my location in some way. By openly stating that I have a tween, that could be the only flag I need to wave to a predator – if you know what I mean.
I would rather remove photos of her (none of them were ever inappropriate) and that gives me one less reason to worry.
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Hey, remember though, they don’t have to be inappropriate pics. Someone can copy her face and paste it onto a contrived porn pic elsewhere to be used for purposes most despicable. Of course, you could watermark your pics and that would be a good deterrent.
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š thanks for the suggestion CJ.
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Hellish, horrible, hateful, humbling … hopeful still.
Val
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Yes, yes, yes, yes and yes.
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H is for “Huh”? I’m wondering if I am at risk. I honestly don’t post too much about my family etc but I’m wondering what I should be looking for.
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I don’t think you would need to worry Laura. I posted about my tween and her selfies one day and this has drawn traffic to my blog.
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I’m sorry about that Sue. š¦ Just thought in my blissful WP ignorance I was missing something.
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Yes well. Live and learn I guess.
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You’ll want to be careful with pictures, but deleting the tags will go a long way to not finding yourself in that situation again. My husband doesn’t want to have a presence on the internet, so I have to be careful about not posting in a manner that identifies him.
Jean, visiting for the A-Z Challenge from Rantings and Ravings of an Insane Writer
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Thanks for the visit Jean. It is very much appreciated. I take a lot of care to remove ‘identifiers’ in my posts but there are always those out there who may be that bit cleverer.
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There nothing new under the sun. But what new is the gadget we have and we all need to learn how to set bounds, so we all safe.
Came in from A to Z challenge.
Coffee is on
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Thank you so much for visiting Dora.
You’re right. The bad things in the world have always been there – they have just evolved.
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It is pretty awful. I won’t show current photos of my kids for this reason. Old ones, sure. How they look now? NO WAY! Always cropped, turned away, blurred…
I’m sorry this is giving you grief. I hope one day it stops. ā¤
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I am following the same principle from now on. Thanks for your empathy.
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Certainly, my tags are not as intriguing. Unless I’m not looking on the right day, because I rarely look at my stats, I still don’t have any search terms. I suppose all the stuff I blabber about is still a secret. Hee hee.
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Oooh secret squirrel stuff š
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