AIBU to dislike parents using children in social media content?

[Hakunatomato]

Frances Haugen and Stuart Armfield. They are all over social media. I try blocking their pages, but they pop up everywhere. It is nothing to do with them being two gay dads. It’s just the nauseating constant attention seeking, and using the children in content to make money. There was another content creator a bug life or something, where the kid was quite cute, but is it wrong to put your kids all over the internet when they have no say in it, just to make a fast buck? By the time they decide they don’t want their younger years documented and shown all over the world it will be too late. A clip came up this morning and one of the two dads was posing in his underpants, quite provocatively, for attention, and the next scene showed the kids. Yeuch….. What do you think?

The worst ever are the London Family!!

The sooner they bring in laws to stop "family influencers" the better.

I hate them all.

Especially that Jonathan Joly one, I've had him blocked for years and years.

It should be illegal.

I mean, it’s hardly a new take. People have been complaining about others using children on their social media for a decade.

You aren't wrong to dislike it, but you are wrong to think your opinion should matter to them.

Anyone who shares their children on a public social media platform is a fool.

I don't know the people you're talking about but I don't think anyone should be putting their kids on social media.

Whether it's for money, or for all the likes and love hearts and "Gawjuss hun" comments.

So many parents are guilty of that and none of it is ever in their DC's interests.

If they want photos or videos on SM, they should stick their own up and leave their kids out of it.

I think it’s more that we need to try and bring a voice for the kids that have no say in this

It's not about the adults though, it's about the kids.

I always wonder how many of these "social media stars" will end up with no relationship with their kids in the future.

Often the ones who do it the most.

One minute giving a speech on a Swiss roundabout, the next ooh here’s the kids on our holidays.

Totally agree. One of these influencers lost her toddler recently at a festival. The child is very recognisable from the thousands of images her parents have shared. Imagine would could have happened if a weirdo had stumbled upon her and addressed her by name and said things about her to gain her confidence? It's chilling.

It's all for money. Disgusting.

Until children are old enough to properly understand what they’re agreeing to and give informed consent, I don’t think it should be allowed.

My daughter has a rare medical condition, and some parents in the support groups plaster their children and their entire medical journeys all over social media. I find it horrifying.

Everyone has a right to medical privacy, and that includes children. They shouldn’t have their most personal and vulnerable experiences shared publicly before they’re old enough to understand what that means or have any say in it.

I never said I wanted my opinion to matter to them. I asked what other people’s thoughts were.

I'm with you. It's the same with autistic children having their meltdowns or food issues blasted across the internet. It's disgusting.

I think YABU. It’s not something I have any interest in, but I don’t see a problem with others doing it.

Mumsnet seems to particularly overreact on this topic 😂

I agree OP.

Poor kids.

YANBU.

One of my son’s best friend’s mum does this. I discovered her public transport profile by accident recently, and had no idea she did this. I checked through her content, and some of her parenting reflections included shared thoughts from 1:1, private conversations we’d had whilst relaxing and socialising. I feel edgy around her now, like anything I say or do could go public!

I also made it clear to her and her DH at her last meet up that we don’t post photos of our children online when they took pictures.

It has really unsettled me!

How would you feel if you were 18 and looking for your first job, and your employer could google your name and see all your toddler tantrums or teenage strops?

Or do you honestly think it's okay that these things are broadcast online, including autistic meltdowns or other medical issues?

I've never heard of anyone mentioned here, but in general I don't think parents should use their DC for monetary gain or to garner followers on social media, no. I think probably the odd holiday snap or similar shared to friends is fine, although I've never even done this.

Well now you have mine 🙂

Yeah, I don’t see that as an issue at all 🤷‍♀️ Everyone was young once.

It's simply none of our business how people choose to parent as long as children are safe and adequately provided for. If anyone is in doubt about that, then they should be calling social services.

I could say the same things about people choosing to bring their children up with a highly religious background, or superfocused "dance moms" or any variation thereof. Anything might have an impact on a child, but it is just not my business at all or anyone else's.

You dont think its an issue that anyone can see your parent talking about your first period, your first crush, bedwetting, health issues, private conversations you've had with your parent, stupid shit you do as a teenager?

You're quite happy to have the choice removed from you to share personal and private things with whoever you choose?

I've even seen parents online discussion their child's sexual abuse ffs. Of course its an issue.

I honestly don't believe you.

Yes, we were all young once, but most of us haven't had all our tantrums, strops and issues blasted across the internet for the entire world to see, judge and criticise.

There are parents out there who discuss their child's disabilities and meltdowns, who talk about their incontinence issues, or their behavioural issues, or how much they struggled with their periods or having acne.

Maybe you're very unusual and don't mind the entire world knowing about those things, but most of us don't think they're appropriate things to share without having the appropriate consent in place.

I find it baffling that govt rules propose banning my 15 year old from watching harmless educational YouTube videos about outer space, but would allow me as an adult to put videos on a TikTok account of my semi clothed 15 month old on a beach or potty training and make money from it.

It should be regulated the way a child being used in a TV show is, including some sort of “child privacy” rule that prevents showing things like children being upset or having medical procedures done.