Do you post pic of your children's faces online / judge people who do / don't and why ?

[sicklye]

I occasionally post pics of my kids on FB and instagram.

Maybe once or twice a year. I occasionally do stories too. Maybe 3 to 4 times a year.

I decided that if it wasn't too often, it would be fine.

Some people never post at all or some blur out the faces.

Others post daily.

What's your stance on this and what are you reasons for posting / not posting / blurring out faces ?

I used to post pics of my child on my private Facebook & Instagram fairly regularly. I've become more aware of the dangers and potential consequences now so I stopped. I've now deleted my FB/Instagram anyway. I've asked family to not post pics of him either and they have stopped too.

I don't judge those that do on private accounts as long as they are mindful about what they do post/ and do make some effort to protect their children's privacy and dignity.

However, I do judge 'influencers' who happily exploit their kids for views/money etc and share all the details of their lives. I used to follow some accounts on Instagram where followers knew the kids full names, date of birth, where they went to school etc. To me that's reckless and unnecessary.

With us it has always been a consent thing. My daughters have grown up through the proliferation of social media with we parents who have/used to work in IT. I do not like having my pic everywhere either, so always ask them if they'll send a pic to their Gran etc, rather than posting on Facebook etc where others screenshot and share any bit of crap going..

I used to when my kids were little and Facebook was a new thing. I deleted my FB 10 years ago and am no longer on social media, but if I were I wouldn’t post pics now, no. It doesn’t feel safe or appropriate anymore.

I don’t ‘judge’ people who do, but I don’t think people necessarily think it through. You’re creating a digital footprint for your child that they can’t consent to, for one thing.

I also don’t feel comfortable with sharing my own image or details of my life on SM, so wouldn’t do it for my kids. I value our privacy.

I was wondering if I was being OTT, but as part of the same radio programme, there was a mum who's 16 year old son had killed himself on Christmas day because he was being blackmailed and was too scared to tell his parents ( because what teenager wants to tell their mum that they have naked pictures of themselves all over the internet?) so I thought better safe than sorry. It s just a small thing really. I have a 16 year old and it was horrifying listening to that poor woman's story.

I post pictures on my private Facebook and Instagram. They are both locked and I know all the people on there.
I don’t post often. A few snaps of holidays, birthdays etc. We have family and friends overseas and they like to see pictures of the kids and hear about what they are doing. Too many to be able to contact each person individually.
I have a few friends who only posted the backs of the children’s heads etc when they were younger and now post full pictures of their faces. I wonder what changed in their minds

We post and DS has a YouTube gaming channel which he wears a mask on. I always think blackmail is likely to happen between friends who have camera phones so can snap a picture anyway. We raised DS that what's online isn't the end of the world look at the many social media stars who have posted actual naked pictures. He's to tell us if anything happens and we will help him deal with it.

I always feel sorry for the kids not allowed to be in school posts etc our kids always look at the school posts to see if they have been picture and are excited when they are.

I do on FB maybe twice or three times a year. My FB is pretty locked down and I don’t have many friends on there - I only friend family or actual friends so I don’t have five hundred people on there when can see my pictures. I don’t on instagram because I don’t have the account locked down.

I don't judge people who post pictures of their kids more regularly but I do think you should respect their privacy - so no pictures that are going to be really embarrassing for them, nothing revealing, no posts that are personal. I know someone who regularly posts pictures of her daughter that, while innocent, could be taken as inappropriate, and she also reveals so much about her child’s life and inner feelings etc on FB. She posted an image of her child after a bath a couple of years that instagram actually took down. The child was only six or seven at the time and it was nothing you wouldn’t see on a beach or swimming pool but still.

I can sort of understand people who used to post pics of kids when FB was a shiny new toy but I really can't understand anyone who does it now. We know so much more about the dangers of the world. We also (or at least we should) know that children have as much right to consent as adults. We should have moved on. You're creating a digital footprint that can never be erased for basically your own vanity project/gratification.

I don't post pictures of my children, husband or myself on social media. I don't even have social media never found it appealing but have never judged others who did as I just never really thought much about it. However at my DCs's school recently they shared this video and changed forever how I feel about it. Won't give my opinion but do watch just food for thought at the very least.

I did occasionally but was a real Luddite and didn’t even get social media myself until I set up my own business kids were older by then.

Glad I didn’t as dd1 v careful and rarely posts pictures of herself dd2 posts a little more but again not much and very carefully so it would have felt wrong to have merrily plastered them everywhere when they wouldn’t choose to do that themselves,

I did when they were younger, but not now they are older as they are much more aware of the dangers than i was. I dont actually know who owns the photos i posted now.

I post pics of my kids in my private fb and instagram. I don’t really have anyone I don’t know as a followers, and I wouldn’t post anything embarrassing or unkind, even when they were babies I was always selective about what I posted. I don’t really see the issue to be honest! What do people do with your pictures that you post online that they couldn’t do just by photographing you in the street which anyone can do if they feel like it!

If some strange bloke was taking a picture of your child in public I imagine most parents would hit the roof.

My kids are all older teens now but I have always posted occasional pics of them online, mostly on facebook.

All my friends on Facebook are proper friends, people I genuinely know. Not randomers who have requested me, or people I only "know" online.

I don't judge people who don't post their kids' faces but do think it's really weird that they go to the effort of plastering an emoji over a face or something, just choose another picture or post without a picture.

I post very little photos of my kids online. I keep my social media quite locked fien but feel it's better not to have huge amounts of details or photos of my kids online. I know people that post photos daily of there kids and unfortunately don't realise that there kids school, home, day to day routines, interests, activities etc can be tracked very easily. One of my dcs is nuerodivergent I also don't post that on social media and very much judge parents that post videos of kids meltdowns etc as it just seems attention seeking to me

The worst ones (apart from the obvious borderline abuse/pranks/sharing inappropriate pictures and details) are the ones that post things TO their children.

Like…..”Henry, I’m so proud of you and how well you’re doing at potty training, blah, blah, blah, I love you so much, puke, vomit, blah”.

Henry is one Janet. He can’t read. He doesn’t even know what social media is.

I post my son on my instagram but I have a private profile and genuinely only add people I know as friends. I never post anything that would be embarrassing or gross. When he's older, I'll let him decide if he's happy for me to post things. I don't worry about anything nefarious happening because of posting him, although I wouldn't post him if my friend's list was less strict.

I do roll my eyes at people who post emojis over their kids face. Either post them or don't, the middle ground is pointless.

I know someone who regularly post about her child’s incontinence issues online and I cringe every time I see it. Her child has a slight physical health problem and isn’t going to want to be reminded about how he used to shit himself all the time as a child!

Yes I do.

Sporadically and for a while non as teen DS didn't want me too. I do now

I have a FB colleague who posts pictures of her kids but blanks their faces out, or has odd positions. The latest is putting huge sunglasses on them (baby and toddler). Totally get that it's what works for her but it looks so odd

So agree. Also the ones who post " I love you so much" to their husbands. Go to the next room and tell him. It's performative shite.

I don't use social media. My husband does and posts pictures of our children but it set to private so only family and friends can see. I wouldn't allow them to be public for anyone to see though as privacy is important to me and given they are children I don't think they can consent to it or not.

In my last job before retiring, when recruiting they used to trawl the SM of the applicant.

I don't post any pictures of my kids. I genuinely don't think anybody really wants to see them.

I do on my personal IG, followers limited to friends and family. I regularly check the list too.

Never on FB as my contacts there are much wider.

Never of anything other than holidays and successes really. I like to use it like a diary. Maybe 1-2 photos a month.

I do judge influencers who use their kids to generate income and as part of their business. Seemingly the parent no longer has an external employment and the ads fund their day to day. No references to the sums being given to the kids in their own account. There has been some litigation in the US where parents have been forced to pay back sums received where they have used their kids for advertising but not given / invested the money for them. There are families who still generate income (Rutherford et al) but who consciously cover kids faces. Good for them but obviously easier to do if you are already a celebrity rather than someone who has become known via IG (Lauren wotsit).