To not let my kids appear on school social media?

I’m not talking about kidnapping. I’m talking about pedophiles scanning social media for images of children to use them to generate child sexual assault material.

Is this something that ever happens though?

it seems all urban legend

stranger kidnapping isn’t even a thing in the uk, let alone picking out some random running through the playground and tracking them down

I dont consent to pics on school social media ...but am definitely in the minority.

I consented but my kids were never in the school photos - oddly it was always the same few child who appeared at every event - so you might find you don't have to worry after all.

It’s about benefit v risk. There is a huge benefit to children and whole families doing activities v any risk. There is no real necessary benefit to putting children’s photos online v any risk.

Latest advice to schools is that no children’s faces are shown at all on social media OR the school’s website.
YANBU.

This is how I feel. I don’t have the energy to be worried about the very small possibility that some paedophile will use images of my dc. They could just as easily take a photo of them when they’re in a public place. I think the hysteria over it all is ridiculous.

It's unbelievable how critical thinking is going out of fashion being replaced by virtue signalling! Quite horrifying really!

Well yes of course there is the risk, but seeing as these people take images from social media all the time…

Nobody’s said you can’t take pictures. Just stop posting your kids on social media

So you’re putting yourself above the safety of your children
So when you take your kids on a shopping trip for yourself, aren't you doing the same, with a significant higher risk of harm.

Common people, stop repeating like sheep what you've read on social media and start using common sense!

The risk from a closed group is tiny

But the OP isn't talking about a closed group. They've said the School's social media page is open.

Children will grow up never seeing any pictures of life at school, differences between generations, historic events...

Whilst the rare paedophiles will have found other ways to satisfy their nasty sickness...

So you’re putting yourself above the safety of your children. Above the risk of their images being turned into CSAM. I’ve seen it all now

Same and just as we are starting to see social media being banned for children, I wouldn’t be surprised if at some point in the future there was a ban on people posting pictures of children online full-stop.

Well nothing is guaranteed in life is it?

life is all about weighing up risks. As someone else said children are more at risk in the car on the way to school for instance, or from male relatives. Yet people carry on using the road and the pavement.

we need to weigh up things. It’s lovely seeing the pictures and my kids like looking at them too. The risk from a closed group is tiny .

There is just as much chance as parents/members of the public taking photos of them there too snd using them for awful reasons
I would think the risk was much higher!

YANBU OP. My children’s school don’t post any photos of the children online and I think that is the policy all schools should have. I have friends with children at schools that do posts photos, but all of my friends have opted to not have their children put online.

It seems like there’s considerably more concern about “paedophiles” as this sinister outside force when the majority of risk comes from people known to the family
All this fueled by the media that makes money out of hysteria and drama that sucks people in!

Do you stop your child doing sports day, or school plays or music concerts or going on school trips or going out and about in public on their own? There is just as much chance as parents/members of the public taking photos of them there too snd using them for awful reasons

Pre Covid I agree the main risk was abduction which seems remote and as long as surnames not used I agree risk seemed minimal. Not now sadly. I would think it would be the norm to say no now so saying no would not mark your kid out as an outlier.

I mean who even wants the risk their child would be used in creating child abuse images?!

The way younger people are now making drastic choices based on the smallest of probabilities is really scary.
They won't allow their children being on a picture where there 1 in a million chances that these could be used in an unflavoured way, let alone harm their child, but don't think twice of driving their kids to activities over the weekend when the risk of harm is significantly higher...

Exactly.

Well yes both are a risk. One is easier to avoid so why not avoid it? The only loser is mum who doesn’t get to look at nice pics.

In a world of deep fakes and AI, I’m mystified why anyone WOULD allow their kids to be used for publicity in this way. I probably sound over the top but if something happens it would be “who’d have thought it?”.