10 Things Genuinely Smart People Never Post About On The Internet
Reezky Pradata | ShutterstockSmart people aren't just conscientious and intentional in daily life, they're also careful on social media.
They aren't posting for validation or bragging on Instagram with flashy designer clothes, because they know better. The allure of attention and envy is great when you're a superficial thinker. But because they consider all the consequences of revealing their income or location online to strangers, there are things genuinely smart people never post about on the internet. As a result, they're far less likely to fall victim to scams or oversharing their lives.
Here are 10 things genuinely smart people never post about on the internet
1. Travel plans and vacations
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While it's fun to take photos on vacations for social media, you should always wait to share them until you're back at home. Especially if you have a public account, where anyone can see your travel plans and that you're away from home, it can put you at risk for all kinds of scary behaviors.
Being seen on social media can boost our moods instantly, but when our personal information and photos are being seen by the wrong people, we're putting ourselves in danger.
2. Pictures of their home
Even though posting about your life and material things has become a status symbol in itself online, sharing photos of your home can put you in danger. Other people should never know the layout of your house or the neighborhood it's in, unless you know them or have invited them to your place. That's why truly smart people keep their homes and certain parts of their lives private from social media.
You never really know who is looking at your profile or keeping tabs on everything you post. So, be diligent about safety online, even if that means going through followers and making your account private.
3. Impulsive comments or judgments
What you post online has the potential to haunt you forever. That's why young people today are so mindful of their digital footprint, because they're growing up in a cancel culture. Anyone can dig up old posts and comments from your life, and they don't care about the context or how old you were when you shared it.
Genuinely smart people think before they speak in person, but they also reflect before they post online. They ask themselves, "Would I say this to someone in real life?" and "Would I want an employer or parent to read this?" before posting anything.
4. Their children
As Harvard Law School expert Leah Plunkett explains, there are all kinds of reasons why parents should stop posting about and sharing their kids online. From taking away their chance to tell their own story online, before they're old enough to say no, and even putting them at risk for identity theft and harassment, "sharenting" isn't doing anyone any favors.
Smart parents, who not only consider their excitement and joy in the present moment, but also the outcomes and nuanced consequences of certain actions, never post their kids, unless, of course, they've curated some kind of safe platform or space to do it carefully.
5. Their favorite restaurants and places
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Our favorite places and communities become a part of who we are, so it's no surprise that we want to share them on our social media platforms. We feel seen when people acknowledge our favorite things and validate our preferences, even for things as silly as a latte.
However, when we post these places, use geolocation on social media, and let people in on our routines, in the wrong hands it can put us in danger. Would you want the worst person you know to have intel on where you are, at every second of every day? If not, stop posting it all the time on social media.
6. Expensive material goods
From new cars to flashy jewelry, and even designer bags with logos that signal wealth, genuinely smart people never post about the expensive things they own on the internet. Even if it's easy to lean into the allure of showcasing our status symbols online, these photos can make us instant targets for burglaries and all kinds of crime.
Rich people don't just adopt "quiet luxury" styles and vibes because it shields them from being judged in our current society. It's also because it protects their safety.
7. Complaints about work
Especially if you're posting content that other employees and managers can see at work, social media can play a huge role in workplace satisfaction and experiences. As a study from the Journal of Organizational Behaviors explains, depending on the kind of post, seeing an employee's social media can lead to feelings of resentment and disconnection.
Of course, if you're also making critiques of a workplace or complaining on a public social media page about your job, that could also introduce a level of job insecurity that's hard to run from.
8. Private texts and conversations
Especially before asking someone if you can share their private text messages, sharing a conversation or someone else's personal information can seriously harm a relationship. Especially if they're careful about their presence online and someone else puts it at risk with a careless post, you're putting more than just safety and privacy at risk.
With deep-thinking minds and a tendency to sometimes overthink their decisions, a smart person is never this careless. They think about things from every possible angle before making a choice, even in the mundane parts of their lives.
9. Glimpses of financial information
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Even if it's a half-cropped photo of your credit card with fuzzy numbers, if someone's trying to scam you or steal your identity, they don't need much. Especially if they've already gathered your full name, location, and personal data from your account, they won't need much more to piece together an entrance key to your locked-down accounts.
Constantly worrying about scams and being hypervigilant all the time isn't always necessary, but protecting and being intentional about what you're posting online is a simple yet profound way to set yourself up for safety.
10. Their goals
Even if bragging about goals and spreading them brings a kind of external validation and attention into our lives, experts like psychology professor Marwa Azab suggest that talking about dreams before achieving them actually sabotages our progress.
When we reap all the attention of a goal before we've made any progress, that discourages us from actually putting the work into achieving it. That's why smart people keep their dreams somewhat private, especially from social media, to safeguard their motivation and progress.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a senior editorial strategist with a bachelor's degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
