Naked baby / toddler photos on Facebook

[OnTheMap]

A friend of mine regularly posts pictures of her family, including her 1 yr DS - one of her relatives complained on her photos, asking her to "put some trousers on the boy". She has 700+ friends so they're not all close friends.

He was very rude to complain so publicly, but was he wrong? Is it ok to post naked pictures of your children so publicly?

Adults are sexually mature. They also have a concept of privacy and (usually) regard their bodies as private. They also have a concept of their genitals as sexual and therefore these are generally more private. Someone in a coma may not currently have these concepts, but they will have done.

Children are not sexually mature. They do not have a concept of privacy and do not consider any part of their bodies to be any different to any other part (because they aren't).

You cannot compare a comatose adult with a child.

I suppose it raises the question as to whether you have a duty to your child's future self - or does only the present matter?

I can't see how a child's "future self" will be harmed by a couple of pictures of them in bath as babies existing on FB. I genuinely can't.

I suppose it will all be searchable

Sure but....what, your future boss says "My god - I googled you and found a picture of you naked in the bath at 9 months old - no job for you" or as a teenager a future girlfriend is horrified to find that you were once a baby who was naked in a bath? (Which happens pretty often anyway - it's just mums with the embarrassing baby album rather than on-line)

I genuinely don't get it. I'm not trying to be awkward, I just don't.

I agree with you catgirl My DS1 (now 27) recently asked for a copy of the photo of him naked aged 2 playing in the garden,with a hosepipe wearing nothing but a fire mans hat - he's not embarrassed at all by it and I'm pretty sure his bottom now bares no resemblance to the one he had 25 years ago !

Why would anyone be embarrassed about a photo taken maybe decades ago ? Grown adults look totally different to how they looked as babies or toddlers.

When DS1 was little it was quite normal for little ones to run about naked at the beach naked and nobody thought twice about it and I actually think its a shame that things have changed so much and DS3 (now aged 4) cannot enjoy the freedom of playing naked on the beach - I'm not worried that there may be a pedophile lurking,just the judgey looks from others.

Last year we went to a very 'spanish' part of spain, with lots of spanish holiday makers and it was so refreshing to see children enjoying the beach innocently naked (and parents taking the odd photo).

Is it only the British who have such hang ups over a naked toddler ?

All DD's bath photos have strategically placed bubbles or legs slightly lifted so you can't see anything.

That is an interesting question vino. I suppose the difference is that an adult now in a coma was previously an agent with specific ideas about their own dignity which we may want to respect even now that they are no longer competent. So let's say that the photo served some interest the person in a coma is likely to have identified with previously there doesn't seem to be anything morally wrong with it, if the photo is intended to ridicule though it seems contrary to the person's previous interests and that is a problem. - it disrespects who the person was.

I also find the future prospects argument to be odd. Why would someone's employment prospects or political career be in any way negatively affected by the realisation that they were once a naked baby? Do we really think that potential employees were never babies or that politicians were born wearing clothes?

I genuinely wouldn't care if there were naked pictures of me as a child online.

fluffyfanjo I think it less a British hang up about children being naked and more an issue that you and many parents have that you feel people will judge you therefore you think attitudes have changed despite their being no evidence to say they have.

I don't use FB that much but I genuinely would think nothing wrong with people posting pictures of their naked babies or toddlers on it.

There are photos of me naked in the bath in our family photo album and if my mum were still alive and had a FB page I would have no problem with her sticking them up there, even if it was open to the whole world. There is nothing "pervy" about a naked toddler.

How is it any different to letting your naked toddler run around on the beach? Which is also "open" to the whole world.

Yeah, i'm with catgirl and co.

And so here is a picture of baby me. Do you think my future employers will think twice knowing I shared it on mumsnet?

That is somewhat different to showing your genitalia though isn't it Beyond.

p.s you were a very cute baby.

Are you a journalist or a researcher OP?

You can see my baby boobies that wouldnt be allowed on facebook for an adult.

Ps thankyou :)

When I was 13, I gathered and hid ALL pics of me with no clothes on. Their mere existence mortified me amd made me extremely uncomfortable. I cannot imagine how I would have felt if hundreds of people had seen them. I really can't. When I see nude pics of kiddies, as well as tales of them doing funny things, I always just think about how they will feel when self-conscious, body-conscious vulnerable teenagers. I. Would. Have. Died. Imagine other kids from your class getting hold of it too... Bully material ahoy! Bad enough when mums write soppy messages on their walls, surely!

How about bullying.

I wouldn't want some bullying somehow getting hold of a naked pic to be used against them.

I wouldn't like DH to share a pic of me nude, what is the dirrence.

Naked pics of kids are wrong. Yet again those without a voice can't voice thier preference.

My problem with the pics on FB is as soon as they are up loaded you have lost the rights to that picture, regardless of your security settings. Although it's highly unlike to be used by anyone you don't know if your settings are secure but not impossible.

Off the original topic but wasn't there a lady who had her pic used on a porn site withough her knowing about it. I think what I'm trying to say is I wouldn't want anyone using my DD to advertise anything regardless of her state of dress (or undress) however innocent that product might be. I want to be the one that can decide until she is old enough to do it for herself.

My SIL put a picture of her baby coming out of her c-section, covered in blood, cord attached and vagina fully on display. A moving picture but not sure I'd have that one out on display!

Just snorted at "baby boobies" @Beyond

The thing with social media is that it is very new. I imagine that in years to come laws will be passed about what you can and cannot share.

My only issue with sharing images of children is with people who show photos of their children's genitalia. My mum wasn't ok with photos like that going in the family album (I was born in the late 80's), she by no means uptight.

Neither worra . It does rely on our idea that although we're all naked people don't like to share their genitalia and therefore it's wrong to show your children's genitalia too

I wouldn't have thanked my parents for posting a pic of my privates online. It may not have bothered me at the time but it would now. I'm pleased to say that whilst they did take a few naked pics they were side on.

Bathtime pics with bubbles or side of bath for modesty etc are different IMO.

don't miss the point that any paedo can doctor a photo of a clothed child to make it what they want too.

and snort at making nudity illegal