The holiday season is in full swing. Parties and family gatherings mean lots of Instagram photo ops. It's easy to get swept up in the fun, but here's a reminder: put down the eggnog and take a breath before you post. It's normal to want to share experiences with others. It bonds people together and increases the ability to savor and appreciate memories and special moments. But family gatherings also include kids. While sharenting — sharing kids' news and images publicly on social media — has become a social norm, we should ask: Is sharing family photos on social media a smart thing to do?
There's a big difference between photo albums on the coffee table and broadcasting images on social media. Adults can judge their own risk. However, kids do not have the maturity to understand the longer-term ramifications of having their image shared publicly, and sharing violates your kids' privacy, exposes them to safety risks, and can detrimentally impact their identity development.
You are not alone if you think posting your kids' images on social media is just a normal thing to do. A frightening 73% of parents admit to sharing images of their kids on social media, and very few worry about potential implications. However, it is estimated that the average child has their picture shared 1,300 times by age 13. Sharing without consent can do more than violate their privacy, even for adults. It can have serious consequences personally, professionally, and socially. Many jobs have been lost, trust has been broken, and college applications have been denied due to unfortunate photos posted on social media. The potential fallout for young kids can be even greater.
1. Privacy Settings Do Not Ensure Privacy
Even if you think you are taking safety precautions by making your social media accounts private, pictures of your kids can still end up in the public domain. What starts as an innocent post can, through the clicks and shares of others, become a piece of public content.
2. Your Images Belong to Mark Zuckerberg
When you signed up to use their platform or app, you gave Snap and Meta the........