We’ve all seen at those silly Stick Figure decals that are on the back of some cars.
Perhaps you’ve seen this one:
Skull Family Car Stick Figures Decal
Or even this one that Web Watch has shared before:
Well, did you know that you could be putting yourself and your family in GRAVE DANGER merely by placing these fun, goofy stickers on your car?
That’s one of the conclusions reached in an IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS OF THE STICK FIGURE DECAL CRAZE, which has no signs of fading anytime soon.
From the article:
Stick-figure families may express family pride, but their popularity has also given rise to the fear-mongering, paranoia and sense of precariousness that can accompany modern parenting. “How car stickers are putting your family at risk” is a familiar headline, with both police and media issuing the self-evident warning that too much information about your life and children—their names, their hobbies—enables pedophiles. Although there has yet to be a case linking criminal behaviour to stick-figure profiling, worries are being aired that enterprising thieves will know which cars to target for sports equipment, or whether a dog is of “guard-dog” quality. Earlier this month, widespread media coverage was given to an Ohio search-and-rescue team’s warnings on Facebook that used the example of stickers depicting an “army dad” and “football son”: “The father is never home; he’s overseas . . . It’s likely his mother takes [the son] to practice after school, giving criminals ample time to raid their home.”
Yes, there may not be a case yet where stick figure families have led to any crime or violence, you still should be just as careful about advertising your family details in such a blatant way.
Placing a stick figure of your child on the window? That’s cute. Placing it there with their name? Maybe you should reconsider that just a little bit.
The more information you freely provide to criminals about your home life, its occupants, and its interests, the easier it can be for criminals to pinpoint you as a potential target.
So go ahead and order those cutesy cat and dog stickers. But be sure to include a dragon or a dinosaur into the mix – if you’re going to share personal details onto your car for the world to see, at least let them wonder about how much of what you’re telling is true or an intentional lie.
Criminals just may pass you by for an easier target.