To think we all need to consider what we are posting on Social Media with regards to our children?

[AintNoOtherFan]

Whilst I was sat waiting for dd to finish her club I was reading a Digital magazine which helps parents to learn about online safety for children/teenagers.

In it there was an article about how to avoid embarrassing your child (mainly teenage age) on social media etc. It said years ago parents used to show their children's baby pictures to embarrass them but now it's all via Facebook/Instagram etc and it got me thinking.

I have been conscious about posting photos of my children on my Facebook page for a while now, mainly because they are approaching pre-teen age and I don't want them to look back in a few years on my Facebook to find lots of embarrassing pictures of them dressed as a Roman (for school play) or a toddler picture of them with food around their mouths.

I think of my friends I have on Facebook and they post loads of pictures of their children which don't get deleted, some have photos going back years from when they were babies. So whilst some teenagers/young adults might like it and see it as a good way to look back, some might also feel mortified! Especially if parents are posting embarrassing pictures of their teenagers now etc.

I've decided Facebook isn't a place to put my children's pictures on anymore but what do others think?

Ain’t not everyone is just sharing a few cute snaps to their close family and friends No, but many people are. I’m also not sure how a toddler picture with yoghurt face, even if accessed by future employers because of a parent being incompetent with SM would be a problem

I wouldn't want my mum to have a picture of me as a toddler with yogurt face on her Facebook page (if she had one,) especially if I was a teenager trying to be cool to her mates. Each to their own.

The point was so many parents are posting loads of pictures of their kids on Facebook, some literally every event, dress up day, a&e visit, sulking etc and I wonder how these children will feel as they grow up about it. Some won't care but some will.

Yes. Sharenting is being discussed in terms of children's rights. Lots going on about this

Some friends lists run into the hundreds and are people they have added over the years because they used to work in the same office or met at a friends party or because they are a friend of a friend

Yup which is what lists are for. As part of my business I do online safety on social media for parents and kids. This is one of the things I teach.

YANBU. Too many friends on Facebook post 101 photos of their kids in ever situation including on the potty I put the odd cute family picture up but less and less these days.

I don't post very many photos of my children, although I'd be lying if I said I didn't post any at all. And I'd never post photos of them naked or crying or injured etc.

But I do think it's sad that anyone would feel embarrassed by a loving parent sharing a photo of them with yoghurt on their face. It's a snapshot in time, not stealing part of your soul.

I agree with you 100%

Quackinghell I completely agree with you.

My Facebook is quite private. I only have 35 friends. People I know really well and family. My security settings are super high. I share photos maybe once a week and use it as a place to save my photos, I enjoy the “on this day” timehop thing Facebook has and like to use it to see what friends are doing.

I think as long as you’re not sharing your pics with the entire world I really can’t see what the problem is. Any random stranger could take a photo of dd or ds on the street without me knowing and put it online somewhere if they’re sneaky enough. I wouldn’t post anything nude etc obviously but I think general family stuff is fine.

I remember my mum having all my deeply embarrassing school photos up in the hallway at home for anyone and everyone to see. I would cringe a bit but it was funny really.

I have a teenage dd and she doesn’t mind me sharing things. I don’t tag her in them so they don’t appear in her own feed and she is free to unfollow me if she wants to. If she really hated something I would remove it but thankfully like most dc her age she really couldn’t care less...!

I agree with you, OP

I suspect that soon there will be a generation who swing right back and stop sharing so much online. As it is, kids are basically growing up in a worldwide Truman Show, with everyone watching them

I suppose much like the younger generation who don't drink as much alcohol as the previous generation, it will be the same for social media sharing.

Mummy blogging will be looked at in horror in the future. I predict children suing their parents for selling their childhood eventually it'll could be treated like child actors with regulation and earnings being put aside.

Either that or we'll all be sharing so much no one will care at all

I think everyone is sharing so much no one will care. Do you really think kids are going to trawl through their parents posts to berate them for it? Teenagers aren’t interested in what their parents post as long as they aren’t tagged in it. They’re way too busy having their own social life online. It’s all the older people (and yes I am getting on a bit myself, I’m 37) getting themselves in a twist about all of this.

I’ve got tons of pics of DD on my FB. In fact they are all her or the dog (and none of me!)

She has full access to my FB (an app on her phone) and knows what is on there. If she ever asked me to remove some I would (or at least make it a private photo). She’s nearly 13, and doesn’t mind any of them - even the bare arse one

I don't agree that a person's consent should be obtained before their picture should be posted online. I have a completely different starting place from rest of you.

What is mummy blogging by the way?

Mummy blogging - ie unmumsymum, mother of daughters on instagram, mums writing about being a mum- there’s absolutely TONS of them online all over the place.

Is it like something Myleen Klass would do?

I don't agree that a person's consent should be obtained before their picture should be posted online. I have a completely different starting place from rest of you.

Neither do I. It would be the end of photojournalism for starters...

I disagree, social media can be a great place to album your photographs. It's your settings that make the difference. The scenarios you describe only exist if you leave them open.

Set your privacy settings as tight as possible. Don't share on public platforms (ie web or twitter), don't over-share, and think before you post anything online.

Go by those rules and you should be fine.

Essentially think before you do anything online. Sadly thinking appears to becoming a dying art.

I think it should be illegal to put photos of your children on social media before they are old enough to give informed consent - probably age 16. This should apply to all platforms, and anyone who thinks that putting photos in a private message is safe is deluded.

I don't live in the UK and I think perhaps people where I am aren't as savvy, but there's a woman in my village who is trying to be a kind of mummy instablogger and it's pretty much ALL photos of her kids (6 or so and under), but like, in the bath and in nappies/pants, all sorts. I really do think that's very very irresponsible. Anyone can access her instagram, obviously cos she's trying to lever a business out of it.

I agree. DD was stalked and her image taken (from a friends page) and her wrote explicit messages on them and reposted.
The police were involved but he wasn't quite 18 so he had a warning.

Some were disturbing and she was quite frightened.

I dont post, but a friend of mine posts everything, her sons worries, days out, ice cream face and hers 13

The thing is you wouldn't pop round to 30 houses to show everyone a pic of you on the train or visiting a park so why do it? It's really strange

I never do. I'm off Facebook along time but have never made birthday post or anything. The amount of children I have recognised from their parents Facebook posts.

I imagine there will be some legal clause in the future. Parents will be sued for sharing their DC's personal informationmin the next decade, health issues, embarrassing photos.

That is awful GreenTulips.