That posting children on social media should be banned?

[TartanPaper]

We’ve already seen serious forms of abuse happening and they’re continuing.

The woman who posts her little girl doing handstands in dresses and sucking on ice lollies, the orphan girl who was exploited, the woman who forced her children to cry a certain way when they were already grieving over a pet, the woman who was abusing her kids whilst posting about how to keep them in line, the autistic children whose every move is filmed so their outbursts can be posted…

I think it’s time that all children’s faces were banned from social media till they are 16. The age of having an account should be 16 and social media platforms should be stricter at seeking and banning accounts that posts children’s faces.

I recently came across an account of a small girl and looked at her followers. Nearly all grown men. I selected a few at random and the second one I looked at had no posts and was following nearly all little girls accounts. It’s disgusting, we all know who and what he is but he can stay and watch because the parents and guardians are happy to make money off these small children. Some are literally selling them out to paedophiles in front of our faces and no one can do anything.

I know people will say on here they they post pictures of their kids on private accounts but the things paedos do with the photos of the kids is horrendous, there have been stalking cases, AI generation, children’s faces turned into pornographic images and videos. It’s sickening and surely we need to protect our kids more than we need to share pictures with family or make a few quid out of them?

I understand where you are coming from but I think you’re taking the wrong approach. Instead, I believe, the tech companies should get their act together, shut these things down (and have the auto settings mean nothing is shared unless you opt to), and work hand in glove with the police.

Otherwise, shouldn’t we ban taking children to the park because a stranger could video them on their phone. Or to the pool. Or…

I'm certainly with you on children being used for any kind of influencer content/vlogging/blogging, especially where it's monetized. If the parent is making money off the kids, even if they're doing something like saving proceeds for college, it could be seen as a form of child exploitation to make a child "perform" in this way.

Young children can't consent fully to this and it's very difficult to get rid of the content entirely when a child is older and decides they want it removed.

As a psychologist by trade, I can think of lots of reasons why this is very harmful for child development, child/parent relationships, relationships with others.

Private photos etc being shared with family/friends feels a bit different but I still don't think a lot of people fully appreciate and weigh up all the potential consequences and risks. We had a total embargo when ours were little, as did DH's brother and SIL, and the PIL repeatedly broke it. It was frustrating.

How do they stop men watching kids? Or taking their photos? They can’t. It’s up to us as parents to protect our children’s faces, privacy and identity.

And it’s different, you go out for a purpose, there is no purpose to making kids content. If you want to send a photo or video or Aunty Jan then send it, it doesn’t need to go on Instagram or TikTok.

Making money from kids online should be banned.

I'm not sure how workable banning any images of kids would be.

I agree re ‘kid content’. That’s extremely difficult to justify. I just happen not to agree about kids photos on a closed Facebook profile (where the tech companies most certainly could stop everyone else looking at them unless otherwise specified). I think it’s because I have a lot of scattered (around the world) friends and family and love seeing the odd photo of eg their kids going back to school.

It’s up to us as parents to protect our children’s faces, privacy and identity.

yes. Up to us as parents, not up to the government or social media companies.

I did think about other exploitation of children, I guess we exploit them on tv etc, I just sort of feel like a blanket ban on socials would help reduce all the issues that are arising.

One American woman said that she had a small account, hundred or so followers and a paedophile became obsessed with her daughter and stalked them, was able to find out where she lived. If we didn’t have any photos online, this couldn’t happen.

Others have had their kids used to generate AI porn, their faces on. It’s so horrific and the only answer I can think of is no kids faces at all?

I agree

But parents aren’t doing it. They’re exploiting and abusing their children. God knows what is going to happen in years to come, it’s going to be chaos. Fuck, it already is.

So how do you propose we protect innocent children from this? It’s a new form of abuse in my eyes.

AI is at a level now where Meta etc could have a "this looks like you're uploading a picture of a child. We don't allow this" flag on their products.

Check out the dad challenge podcast if you haven't already. Some horrendous exposés on there.

Re the influencers:

Imagine how long the kids have to stand / sit still everyday for photos.

They can't just go out they have to be doing something that will get likes.

Never mind the videos they will need to rehearse

I don’t show my children on social media even amongst locked down accounts. But I think this is a hammer to crack a nut. I’m generally against loads of state control on family lives. Where children are geberuinely coming to harm then there are safeguarding steps that can be taken already. Whilst I would never post my children, there is a world of difference between a mum cooking with her 6 year old on her family cooking YouTube chanel and the things you describe. People have the right to make parenting making choices that I wouldn’t.

You are speaking my language OP.
Social Media is (one of) the leading causes behind a meteoric rise in mental health issues amongst adolescents (see Jonathan Haidt’s work)
It really is so unhealthy for children and posting kids online is just normalising it so they continue to do it themselves as they get older. And that’s before you factor in the predators online you mention.
I honestly think it’s such a huge issue, social media and the wider issue of screen use amongst small children, that something drastic should be done about it.

I would be in favour of extending the already existing TV and stage working rules of children to social media though. You would then have to have a work permit and meet certain criteria if you are monetising your account.

I find it absolutely disgusting when people use children to further their 'influencer careers'.

I remember there was a US influencer who was meant to adopt a baby and then cancelled last minute because the country she was adopting from were not allowing for adoptees to be shown on social media for the first year following adoption.

But a lot of them don’t even realise the potential outcomes, as I outlined in one of my posts above. They don’t know what’s happening.

I couldn't agree more, thank you for saying out loud. I don't know if it's a very popular opinion, though.

Your sledgehammer approach isn't going to protect them.

A tiny number of parents are "exploiting and abusing" their children like this. The vast majority aren't and are using social media to keep in touch with friends and family. Powers to go after parents posting inappropriate images is better, along with locked down definitions of what "inappropriate" is.

Totally agree

There was one on fbook the other day of a girl who looked about ten in a towel, in a sauna.

I mean wtf

So obviously a scam and or pedophiles

I remember there was a US influencer who was meant to adopt a baby and then cancelled last minute because the country she was adopting from were not allowing for adoptees to be shown on social media for the first year following adoption.

^

Despicable

Just what kids who are in the position to be adopted need!

People who say they use it to ‘keep in touch with friends and family’
Why not just use WhatsApp??

WhatsApp is now considered social media.

So literally me sending a pic to my dad of his grandkids would become a criminal offense?

If banned from SM then also banned from advertisements?

Just saying.

People who posting their kids online for financial gain should be banned. It’s exploitative and there is not regulation like there would be if there were being made to work in a factory or shop. People posting some pics of their own kids on private Facebook pages etc is completely different.

I was out with my pal a few months back and we popped into a cafe and she realised she knew a little lass in there, she kept saying, "I know her face, maybe an an advert?" Anyway it was a local influencers little girl, she realised when her mum turned around how she recognised the little girl.
She follows her account for hair/beauty I think she said. (She had nice hair so it's possible I'm making that bit up 😂)
Anyway it freaked me out, imagine strangers knowing your dc's (not sure how old the little girl was, anywhere from 4-6) name etc? The little girls name was relatively unusual and I am a massive worrier when it comes to kids and immediately hoped that nurseries or schools etc really follow protocol with passwords and double checking etc, because if uniform pics are posted or anything and someone extremely manipulative and convincing tries to collect her, well its just scary isn't it?
I'm very opposed to kiddos being posted online. Just what's app their pics to your aunty Jan as a PP said.
(I do have an aunty Jan!)