Don't Get Spooked This Halloween

BOO!

We know all the old-school rules—stick together, bring a flashlight, and never eat unsealed candy. But how about all the new-school technology and digital media apps that can help keep you safe and esnure you have an awesome night?

A plethora of apps are available for iPhone and Android devices to help you make the most of All Hallow’s Eve. Trick or Treating is a simple map app that allows you to plan out your group’s Halloween path. While it’s hardly different from creating your own destination list in Google Maps, at $.99 it’s a sweet themed add-on for Halloween Night.

If your trickster is heading out solo, check out TrickOrTracker. It’s a GPS app that locates your child using their mobile phone and can be set up to send you location updates every five, 10, 30, or 45 minutes.

The ImOK app takes this idea a little further and incentivizes kids to check in: when a user checks in to a location, points are added to their account. Kids can create wish lists to earn rewards for their good behavior.

Be careful where you share your Halloween plans. Throwing a party? If you invite friends via Facebook, make the event private. Otherwise, friends-of-friends-of-friends may crash the event. Try to keep your RSVP status on the down-low, too—encourage your friends to make their invites private. It’s clear to criminals lurking on social media that you’ll be out of the house with a public RSVP, so be savvy about what invites you accept publicly.

As for the days after Halloween, be choosy about what you post online after an eventful night. The pictures of you and your buds hanging over the railing of the pub may have been hilarious at the time—but is that really something you want on the Internet? Or, if your Halloween night will be spent playing paparazzi to pint-size witches and ghouls, remember that anyone on your friends list can see your posts. If you’re like most people, it means not only close pals, but also old coworkers and high school acquaintances you’ve long forgotten.

And finally, remember: it’s easy to absentmindedly accept our bosses and coworkers as our Facebook “friends” only to forget that they have access to our weekend exploits later. And this advice goes DOUBLE for teens! Kaplan recently noted that 35% of admissions counselors reported finding detrimental information on candidates’ social media profiles. Parents of college-bound teens, take note.

Enough scary talk. Here’s something lighter: fun Halloween Pinterest boards with costume, party, and craft inspiration. Happy Halloween, y’all!