My great gran would have shown off her white wash on the line and polished her doorstep every morning to show how well she was doing by her family. I think much of what gets posted on FB is the modern equivalent.
This is probably nail on head.
I'm middle aged so it's only my younger relatives and friends having babies, no longer my friends and contemporaries. I enjoy the odd baby photo because it brings back happy memories for me of my kids being that age (and it's nice to be reminded the stroppy "Where is my school shirt? Why haven't you ironed my school shirt! You''re a failure as a mother!") 15 year old, was once also cute and I was once equally naive.
That said, we checked out our neighbours from hell (well known to the police and social services - the ones we saw kicking a dog in the stomach whilst their 3 year old watched, a foot away) and sure enough, the banner is a 'happy family' photo, and she's a fan of those "Nominate The Best Mother You Know" posts (intriguing after we've just heard her in the garden bellowing to her 5 year old that he is a cunt).
So I think they are for some people, a very useful fiction to fool the SS, etc and maybe convince elderly parents to give them more £s for booze with the "Look what a fab parent I am!" schtick.
My kids have done some lovely achievements - autistic son was Student of the Year at his large college, and got into university despite spending the first 11 years of his life at a special unit and not being able to read til he was 16 or 17. I've never posted a word on FB - because anyone who matters will already have been told and anyone who doesn't matter doesn't need to know.
I'm far more likely to publish a lengthy paeon to my dog, than my kids. The "Nominate the best mum you know" shite should probably be used by SS as an indicator to flag up a dysfunctional parent.
Also I did have many years of seeing my ex post his F4J shit, and put up photos of the kids for his creepy church friends to lust after, and going on about he was Father Of The Century. He hasn't seen the kids since 2003 and has never paid a penny for them. He's currently enjoying a several month long 'holiday' in Southern Italy. The kids didn't even have their customary two days in a wet tent in Scarborough last year - their stepdad (who really is a dad of heroic proportions and has never been celebrated on FB, either) and I simply can't afford it.
So yes. If I see a lengthy post implying someone is parent of the year or their kids are the Centre Of My World I do tend to feel a bit cynical. People who are good parents aren't plastering their kids over the internet. Full privacy settings and sharing it only with your very nearest and dearest and oldest friends, is fair enough.