Reconsider Publishing Images of Your Children on Social Media

According to new research, many children are concerned about what their parents post about them on social media. In this article, we’ll talk about the reason why you may want to reconsider publishing images of your children on social media.

In the early days of cyberspace, my mother fought tirelessly to ensure that no images of me were ever posted online. As a child, I recall her writing “No pictures online” on every permission paper she had to sign. There were, of course, hundreds of images of me on Facebook by the time I was in college, but at least I’d approved them all, and there were no humiliating childhood memories.

Future generations are set for a significant change. Every time I log on to social media, I’m met with a barrage of images of youngsters. Honestly, I’ve had enough of seeing some of my young relatives! A recent Parents’ study of more than 2,000 respondents found that 79 percent of parents believed other parents overshare on social media. However, only 32 percent of those polled stated that they overshare.

Parental repercussions in France can be more severe than just the annoyance of their children’s friends. In a recent statement, the country’s national police department urged parents to exercise caution when sharing images of their children on social media. If you upload a picture of someone else without their permission, you might face fines of up to $49,000 or a year in prison in France. As children get older, they may be able to sue their parents if they feel their right to privacy has been breached, according to legal experts. Yikes!

Many kids don’t want their parents to write about them on social media, even if it seems severe. Based on a study published this week in Pediatrics, children ages 10 to 17 are “very concerned” about how often their parents post about them on social media. Almost three times as many children as adults believe that parents should be limited in what they can post on social media sites.

Bottom line: Don’t upload without thinking first. On Facebook, the privacy settings might change regularly, and it is not uncommon for strangers to see each other’s photos. Inquire: Is this something my youngster would feel comfortable with? Have a talk with your family about what is and isn’t suitable to publish on social media. Also, watch our video about the worst things to share on social media. Everyone’s happiness and safety can be improved with a bit of attention.

Helpful related article: Quitting Social Media as a Parent, Increase in Suicide Rates in Young Girls Due to Social Media, What I Learned About Social Media from My Gen Z Children