I’m not sure I really see a large privacy or security risk if you’re logging in from a VPN and if you’re using a unique password.

This. A silo’d account. Speaking of which, ALL of your accounts online need to be silo’d. Each need it’s own username, password (preferably a generated one from Bitwarden or equal), it’s own avatar, and it’s own unique identity, especially any social media such as Lemmy. The latter is the hardest because it requires you to think about how you type in responses into social media forums. What kind of spelling errors you normally make. What kind of words and phrases you use. What kind of cultural references or cultural jargon you use. All of these things can be distilled down to track you. As mentioned, VPNs and other obfuscation techniques should be engaged as well.

Not saying anyone here is an active shooter, but if you’ve ever watched one develop on national TV, in the first 15 minutes of the airing, the news outlets know the person’s entire life story. Your life should not be that easily accessible to anyone.