Do we share too much about our children online?

[Natsku]

Saw this article today while checking the news - thoughts?

https://yle.fi/uutiset/child_welfare_ngo_concerned_about_parents_exposure_of_kids_online/7211639

 

[SarahP13]

Hmmm, I'm not really sure to be honest!

We had reason to believe that someone we were taking to court was trying to track us down online (using Facebook etc) so for a while we were very strict about not using any social media sites and asked friends and family not to put anything online. That's all in the past now but my OH is still very against putting things online as they are there forever then. He feels that anything online can come back to haunt you and that the girls should be able to have a say in what's online regarding themselves, until they are old enought to do this it's up to us to keep exposure to a minimum.

I'm a little more relaxed, a few baby pics and funny stories aren't going to do any harm! I'd love to show my girls off but I'm respecting DH's wishes for now. But how old is too old for things like that? Putting a funny picture of a teenager for example on fb is just going to embarrass them, what age do you stop posting pictures? And how many details do you give? First names and ages don't give much away but add in all the pics and you can get a location, interests, routine etc. a lot of background info.

I have put my foot down on some things though. We recently had to answer some questions on DD1's nursery form regarding photos, he said fine within the school but nothing external (prospectus, website, newspaper etc.) But I told him how excited I was to feature in those things and how proud my parents were to see me in the paper (which would be online too now). I don't want to take that opportunity away from them, and I really can't see what harm it would do, now or in the future.

Sorry for the rambling, I'm just not sure how I feel.

It's a tough one, the web- and over sharing- is here to stay I reckon!

 

[Natsku]

Had a similar issue, when I was going through the custody battle with FOB his family were taking stuff I said on Facebook and using it against me.

I'm wondering how old too. I doubt ours kids will mind silly baby and toddler pictures and stories but will they want embarrassing stories or photos from when they're tweens and teens floating about online? I guess not. But not sharing anything is also difficult because for some of us its the easiest way to communicate with our families, to let them know what's going on.

Hah had the same argument with FOB about daycare. I wanted to put yes for pictures, videos etc and he wanted to put no to everything. In the end we compromised so yes to pictures but no to videos and interviews - hope to change his mind on that as I imagine she'd feel so left out if everyone else got to be in the newspaper except for her or something like that.

 

[teal]

Something that does bother me is on facebook when I see school photos of someone I'm not friends with. The official school photo with the school name and entire class. Just that if I can see it then who else can? I'd hate to think of someone posting public pictures of my child online.

I do post my own pictures on my facebook page but my page is at the highest privacy setting so, while it's still online, it feels a bit safer.

 

[Natsku]

I keep mine at the highest setting too.

 

[babycrazy1706]

I don't post photos on here or in fb groups. My fb settings only allow my friends to see stuff. Xx

 

[tinkerbelle93]

This is interesting. I have occasionally posted photos on here of my LO, although I don't share our last name or anything like that. I don't have Facebook or other social media forms so that isn't an issue to me, although my mum and in-laws will post the odd picture on their profiles with Oliver in it and it's never bothered me. I've seen this be debated with regards to 'mummy bloggers', some of them are very popular and share a lot about their children on their blogs and opinion is quite divided as to whether or not it's disrespecting the children's privacy. I haven't really given it as much thought as I perhaps should.

 

[Wriggley]

We don't even have face book for many reasons but no I don't like photos of my boys on the Internet I have posted the odd picture on here but I think twice even mentioning their names online

 

[staralfur]

I can see how over sharing might be bad from a privacy standpoint, depending on what you're sharing and who with. I don't really get the argument that you're giving them an identity without them having a say in it. I don't think I'd care at all if my mom had a blog and posted stories, videos, photos of me that I could look back on. Actually, I think that would be pretty cool!

 

[Natsku]

I think I would have been pretty embarrassed as a teenager if my mum had a blog about me!

 

[staralfur]

I think it would definitely be different if it was a parent keeping a blog about a teenager, since they're old enough to be creating their own identities online. But a toddler/young child? I don't really see an issue.

 

[Natsku]

Yeah so I think age does come into it. I think I would have started becoming too embarrassed around the age of 8 or 9.

 

[Tasha]

My son is of an age (ten) that certain things embarrass him now. I rarely post photos of him for that reason, I dont really share very much about him now. I do however get support online as he is just starting assessment for autism but I do think they are two different things. My eight year old girl isnt bothered yet but again I dont put much about her as I know she is getting to that age. My five year old encourages me to share funny things she has said etc

I agree that it very much depends on their age.

 

[Katy Bug]

I think people share too much online period. I have certainly had my round of paranoia, and have taken down loads of photos from my fb.

 

[Ceejay123]

.

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

My son is of an age (ten) that certain things embarrass him now. I rarely post photos of him for that reason, I dont really share very much about him now. I do however get support online as he is just starting assessment for autism but I do think they are two different things. My eight year old girl isnt bothered yet but again I dont put much about her as I know she is getting to that age. My five year old encourages me to share funny things she has said etc

I agree that it very much depends on their age.

Same as this. I don't really share photos of my eldest x

 

[jd83]

I think age definitely comes into it. I'm sure I will stop posting pics unless they ask me to when they are older. Even now, I don't post anything I think would be embarassing to them. They are always just cute things they have said, or cute pictures of them playing together. My privacy settings are also the highest they can be on FB. I share pics on here, but again, usually pics of them playing, being happy together, nothing that could come back as embarassing later in life.