Posting baby pictures and daily updates about your children is a common sight on social media websites, but more and more parents are starting to question the propriety of this. While some of us seem to publicize every little detail of our lives, others say babies should not be on Facebook and Instagram. Before broadcasting their children on the Internet, people should consider a few social media tips for parents.
Privacy and safety concerns
We all know the ages-old parental advice “Don’t talk to strangers”, but once you post your baby’s or kid’s photo on the Internet, it stays there forever. This means any stranger can recognize your child on the street or in school; every private information about the child will be online, which means simply one thing – no matter the privacy settings and measures taken, it will be available to anyone to use it as they please. Some parents are concerned about websites and companies and what they can do with this sensitive data, so if you are among them, there is only one solution – keep your children off social networks.
Old-school e-mailing
Emails and private messages are a good way to share the picture of your newborn with your closest friends and family members without making it public. Cloud storage services such as Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive are also excellent means to limit the access to your kid’s personal information and photographs.
Privacy settings on social media
Websites such as Facebook, Instagram and Flikr offer users to share content with only selected audience. You can choose who can and who cannot see your updates on Facebook – only you, your friends, or the post can be also available to the public to see. However, there is a customization option, allowing you to choose group of friends or single individuals. Instagram has also a similar privacy option, while on Flickr, you have even a greater choice of features and settings.
Let your children decide
If your kids are old enough to have their own account on social media, ask them before you post a photo. Many parents believe this should be up to their kids – to be online or not. After all, a cute naked baby picture is really great and will gather lots of “likes” and shares on the Internet. But it’s your child’s life after all, not yours. One of the biggest mistakes parents tend to make – posting embarrassing photos of their kids. Just try to picture how they would feel about the image of their first time on the potty being online.
What about your friend’s kids?
The most important thing to remember is to ask if it’s OK before posting that sweet photo of your niece or your best friend’s baby boy looking gorgeous in that baby navy sailor uniform costume. In fact, it’s always better to ask the person on the shot before uploading it, especially if it was taken at a swimming pool or at a crazy party, where no one looks as great as they would wish to.
