Use an alias instead of a real name on accounts that allow for this. Twitter, TikTok & Instagram are places with large cosplay communities that allow you to use a screen name to identify yourself.

Set up a cosplay email account to keep your correspondence with photographers and other cosplayers separate from your own personal account.

Instead of listing the city in which you live on your profile, use state or region information.

If you anticipate needing to give out a phone number to others at an event, sign up for a Google Voice number. It’s free to sign up for one and you can use it from your phone like your normal number.

Beef up your social media security settings & consider closing your DMs to accept only friends and those you follow.

If you are a minor, consider using a ‘locked’ account. Some sites like Twitter allow users to keep their posts from being public.

‘Block’ is your shield. Use it. There’s nothing wrong with saying ‘this person can’t communicate with me or view my content’ for any reason.

Don’t be guilted by the guilty. Some bad actors online may try to overstep your boundaries & guilt you into accommodating them. Don’t fall for it. Predators attempt to trick you out of following your gut instinct. A person who is socially awkward will apologize and feel terrible for overstepping your boundaries. A creep will try to make YOU apologize.