Day 21: Family Media Detox

Familymediadetox.com ^ | 09/22/2010 | Staff

[MintyHippo1980]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJPqSOLEC7E

I read a warning in the Telegraph to social media users that certainly applied to me when I was still a Facebook aficionado. I have no idea how many times I announced to the world at large via the Internet that I was on vacation with my family or out of town for the weekend. It turns out miscreants, ne'er-do-wells, second-story men and all manner of rascals are gleaning a goldmine of helpful information by surveying status updates. The article gave a rundown of a case in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire in the UK:

Peter Trower, 22, and Joseph McLennan, 18, monitored Facebook accounts waiting for the “perfect opportunity” to rob a home in the town.

Trower, it transpired, knew the victims’ daughter and had been to the three-bedroom house twice before. When he fell out with the family, he hatched a plan for “revenge” and, being a friend of theirs on Facebook, had access to their status updates.

When the family posted they were going away, the pair ransacked the property and stole computers, jewellery, DVDs and a purse. They were caught red-handed after being spotted by a neighbour. Both admitted burglary and will be sentenced later.

Of course, we've been blogging on here about our upcoming vacation as well.

Rats.

[MintyHippo1980]

I don't know how I feel about the violent footage in the video...I'm glad my husband isn't teaching our children that. Still, they do appear to be having an awfully good time!