We all have them, those Facebook friends that we all secretly want to
unfriend.
You know the ones, filling up your timeline with their baby news. I'm not
talking about 'Look how clever we are, we just had a baby!' Those guys I like.
Congratulations to you. I am glad everyone is happy and healthy, but I don't
want to hear about it 12 times a day for the next 15 years!
Yes, your baby is cute, clever, funny and just an adorable little piece of
heaven. But that’s just the point, it's YOUR baby. Yours. It's not that I don't
want to see them, I do. I just think people don't think of the bigger picture.
The internet is not a safe place. it's just not. No matter what privacy
settings you have and no matter how much you monitor, it's not a safe place.
How often have pictures of friends-of-friends popped up on your time line?
Pictures of people you don't even know?
I don't need to see 'first day of school in my uniform' photos.
I don't need to see 'how cute am I in my new bathers Granny bought me?'
photos.
I don't need to know which park you play in, or that you are currently
obsessed with every passing puppy because Mummy won't buy you one.
I just don't need to know this stuff, and neither do the weirdos out there
on the net.
Not to mention the kind of example / precedent you are setting for your
kids to follow when they start posting about themselves. Think about what you
are posting and the kinds of things you are posting about. Now when your
daughter is 16, do you want her continuing on that line of post? 'Here's me in
my bathers' or 'Off to buy a new bra’??? I recently read an article about a
blogger who wrote about her sons first signs of puberty!?!? What???
My children don't belong to the world; they are not there for anyone
else to see. This is my family. I am very protective of my family, as any
parent would be. I wouldn't let a random stranger on the bus take their photo.
If I was at the park and someone was taking their photo you can be sure they
would get more than just a piece of my mind. I don't talk about their problems
to anyone but trusted confidants, and maybe not even then! So why would I just
post this stuff for the entire world to see?
And while we are at it, make sure it's just YOUR kids you are posting about. We all have different standards when it comes to social media, don't just assume everybody feels the same way as you do.
I really don't understand why people think it's OK to do this. I feel that
we have become a society that gets its self-worth from the number of 'likes' we
get. I get it, when you are a stay at home parent these little bundles are
an all-consuming part of your day, and you want to share about your life.
That's OK. Just make sure it's YOUR life you are sharing about.
The internet is forever! One day your kid's peers are going to be able to
see everything you have ever written or posted about them. Make sure you paint
them in the best possible light.
Check out this post from the BBC website, simple tips to remember whn posting about your kids.
Happy Safer Internet day!!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-38893963
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