Many parents post stories, photos, and videos of their kids on social media because they’re proud of their families and they want to stay connected with relatives and friends.
Social media is also useful for getting advice and feeling less alone, as parenting can be challenging!
As parents ourselves, we understand the desire to share what we experience in raising a child. But how much sharing is too much, and can sharing on social media put children in danger?
This article breaks down the seven ways sharing information about your child on social media may potentially harm your child.
1. Your location
It might just be a picture of your child saying “cheese” in front of your home, but posting photos of your private property can make privileged information public. Street signs, house numbers, and apartment addresses might seem like harmless background scenery, but once you post that picture, it could get around, making your child vulnerable to identity theft, digital kidnapping, where strangers lift the images and pretend the children are their own, or even actual kidnapping.
2. Any state of undress
Babies splashing around during bath time are definitely adorable, but posting photos of your children in any state of undress—even a teeny bikini—isn’t smart. As sad as it is to imagine, these photos could fall into the wrong hands and be accessible to online predators. Think of your kids as autonomous people who are entitled to protection not only from physical harm but intangible harm as well.
3. Vulnerability and embarassing moments
Posting a photo of your sick child might garner comments and compassion on social media, but consider how it could affect your child. What you consider a moment to cherish—and post—might be embarrassing to them. The next time your kid’s in bed with a runny nose, being brave while getting a shot at the doctor’s office, or sitting in a hospital gown, consider this question before you snap: “Would your child want to see this photo of themselves online in the future?
4. Acting out
The “cute” tantrum that your child is throwing—or the bumper your teen ripped off the car last night—might seem sort of comical at the time, but documenting poor behavior could come back to haunt your child down the line. It’s important to consider the autonomy of the child and allow them to create their own digital footprint.
5. Behavioral struggles
Social media isn’t for child shaming. Whether it’s an issue of wetting the bed or trouble learning to read, taking a photo and captioning it in a way that highlights your child’s difficulties can be problematic. Exposing their weakness could open the door to teasing and bullying—and introduce labels that could stick.
6. Poor grades
Shaming your child online by posting that report card “F” is not smart. While it’s understandable to reach out and ask for help, social media is not the place to do it. Not only will you be crowdsourcing advice—much of which might not be sound and is better reserved for a parent-teacher conference—but it could potentially come back to hurt your child.
7. Personal identifiers
Actually, giving away information such as your child’s birth date or place of birth and full name isn’t ideal, as those identifiers are used to reference many private accounts.
You might think that a well-taken passport photo really capture your kiddo’s smile and baby curls, or be so filled with exuberance that your new driver passed the road test that you snap a congratulatory photo of his or her license. Before you post to social, take a step back and think of the information you’re giving away.
