--- title: "Tech Talk: Breaking the \"Instagram or it didn't happen\" rule" description: "Do you share travel photos while you're still out of town? Barb Szyszkiewicz explains why she and her husband broke the \"Instagram or it didn't happen\" rule during their family vacation--and what the" --- [![catholic-mom-logo-v2](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/images/catholic-mom-logo-v2.svg "catholic-mom-logo-v2")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) [![search-icon](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/search-icon.svg)](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2015/09/10/tech-talk-breaking-the-instagram-or-it-didnt-happen-rule#) [MEDIA](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/tag/media) # Tech Talk: Breaking the "Instagram or it didn't happen" rule Sep 10, 2015 7:00:28 AM  |  by [Barb Szyszkiewicz](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/barb-szyszkiewicz-ofs) [![tech talk redesign](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/tech-talk-redesign1-95.png?width=720&height=340&name=tech-talk-redesign1-95.png)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/tech-talk-redesign1-95.png) If you're my friend on Facebook or follow me on Twitter or on my poor, neglected Instagram, you didn't know my family went on vacation until we'd returned home. While we didn't "unplug" on vacation, my husband and I very intentionally didn't share our thoughts or photos of vacation while we were there. It was beautiful, but we kept it all to ourselves until we got home. [![Vacation collage](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Vacation-collage-400x400.jpg?width=400&height=400&name=Vacation-collage-400x400.jpg)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Vacation-collage.jpg) **We just didn't want to let the whole world know that nobody was home at our house. It's a safety thing.** You might think that if you mark your Facebook posts "friends" instead of "public" that you're safer. And you are. But you never know who's looking over your friends' shoulders. As for Twitter and Instagram, everything you tweet and 'gram is broadcast for the whole world to see. And it's not like we have a common last name. So we chose the "better to be safe than sorry" route this vacation. My photos never did make it to Instagram. That's OK. I was reminded, by doing this, that **I don't have to tweet every little thought that comes into my head**. When I'm at home, that's very tempting. My phone's right there, after all. I jotted down several ideas for travel tweets during the trip, so here's a little bit of what you missed: - Hotel guests with drones hovering near high-rise balconies: NOT OK. - License-plate game report: 32 states, 2 provinces plus DC! - Really? Adults cheating in poolside hula-hoop contest? Exciting, right? Don't you wish I'd tweeted those during the trip? Yeah. Me neither. Except for the drone thing. I have a real problem with that. [![Copyright 2015 Barb Szyszkiewicz. All rights reserved.](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/DEBUNKED.png?width=720&height=340&name=DEBUNKED.png)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/DEBUNKED.png) **What's your take? Do you share vacation details on social media? What factored into your decision?** *Copyright 2015 Barb Szyszkiewicz, OFS Photos copyright 2015 Barb Szyszkiewicz, OFS. All rights reserved.* ### Share this article [![Share on Facebook](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/facebook-24x24.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2015%2F09%2F10%2Ftech-talk-breaking-the-instagram-or-it-didnt-happen-rule%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on Twitter](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/twitter-24x24.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2015%2F09%2F10%2Ftech-talk-breaking-the-instagram-or-it-didnt-happen-rule%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2015%2F09%2F10%2Ftech-talk-breaking-the-instagram-or-it-didnt-happen-rule%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=Tech%20Talk%3A%20Breaking%20the%20%22Instagram%20or%20it%20didn%27t%20happen%22%20rule) [![Share on Email](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/email-24x24.png)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2015%2F09%2F10%2Ftech-talk-breaking-the-instagram-or-it-didnt-happen-rule%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2015%2F09%2F10%2Ftech-talk-breaking-the-instagram-or-it-didnt-happen-rule%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) ** #### About the Author ![Barb Szyszkiewicz](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/BSzyszkiewicz%202022.jpg) ### [Barb Szyszkiewicz](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/barb-szyszkiewicz-ofs) Barb Szyszkiewicz, senior editor at [CatholicMom.com](http://catholicmom.com), is a wife, mom of 3 young adults, and a Secular Franciscan. Barb enjoys writing, cooking, and reading, and is a music minister at her parish. Find her blog at [FranciscanMom](http://franciscanmom.com) and her family’s favorite recipes with nutrition information at [Cook and Count](http://cookandcount.wordpress.com). Barb is the author of *[The Handy Little Guide to Prayer](https://amzn.to/2LQB2oL)* and * [The Handy Little Guide to the Liturgy of the Hours](https://amzn.to/3wbDB8k)*, available from Our Sunday Visitor. ## Related Blog Articles [ Tech Talk: Never Miss a Homily Again Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2015/08/13/tech-talk-never-miss-a-homily-again) [ Meatless Friday: Eggs for the Easter Season Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/meatless-friday-eggs-for-the-easter-season) [ You're Invited to the Very First CatholicMom.com Virtual Progressive Dinner! 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