Parents, Their Kids and Social Media|What’s The Future Impact?
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Don’t embarrass your kids before they are ready to face the real world.
The number of embarrassing videos and photos of kids activities posted on Facebook and Instagram is on the rise.
Being a parent can be very exciting. Parents are happy to see their kids say their first word, take the first walking step, grow the first tooth, etc. They want the world to see that their child is growing and doing awesome. They take photos and videos of the little child walking, falling, potty-training, and so on and post on social media. Their friends, fans and family will talk and laugh about those moments for a few hours or days and then move on to the next post. This goes on and on.
One that baffled me most was a video of a girl, less than 24 months, eating her own poop which spilled from her diaper while seated in a toddler car seat. The most worrisome part, her mum took a video of that moment and posted on Facebook. What? Should you post every “supposed” funny activity of your toddler or adolescent on social media? They are also people even though they are little. They deserve all the respect too.
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Another video of a little boy should be less than 5 years old, drinking 2 bottles of beer. The people around him were smiling while streaming the video on Facebook Live. No one stopped him rather you’ll hear the voice of young men in the background saying he will be a heavy drinker as an adult. Is that even a character to be promoted. Clearly, the child doesn’t know what he is doing. Let’s not even delve into the health implications of a child drinking alcohol (and then in excess). Why make a video of this share with the world? I really don’t want to share the link to these videos here because I don’t want to increase the virality.
My generation is going to suffer a double whammy of resentful kids and kids struggling to clean up their online image when they grow up. It’s already happening.
Will these kids grow up with resentment for their parents and relatives when they come of age and find out that their lives have long been documented on every public social media before they are even old enough to use these networks? Let’s analyze this topic, “you, your kids and social media.”
What Are The Possible Effects Of Documenting Kids’ Activities Online
Public Embarrassment
As an adult, how would you feel when you find out that a close family member had taken a video of you when you were sick, vomiting or stooling uncontrollably? Then, secretly posted the video online where this person and his or her friends were joking about your situation? You would be so upset, right? That’s the flip side of what we are doing to these kids.
Here’s a story of a 14-year-old who left social media immediately after joining the networks because she found out that her mother and sister have been posting her photos and videos online since she was born. She couldn’t stand the jokes that have been made about her on those photos and videos. Mind you, this kid was told not to sign up on any social media yet until she turned 13. Why restrict the child from joining social media when you have already signed her up as a toddler by putting up her privacy in public?
Being Bullied
They may get bullied in school as “that kid that ate poop as a baby” or that kind of thing. Other kids will make fun of them when they see these embarrassing footages. We are all screaming against bullying, right? Why would a parent give these bullies more information or power to bully your child during their school age?
Negative Public Image To Future Employers And Business Associates
Maybe, you didn’t know that whatever you post on the internet is permanent? Most employment workshops will teach you to post responsible photos or videos of yourself online because you don’t want your boss or future employer to see a photo of you being drunk.
We intentionally post about our activities online. How about a child whose photos are all over the intent without his or her consent? Wouldn’t these photos pop up when their names are searched by recruiters when they are ready to go into the workforce? I really don’t want to battle with my past activities on the internet as a young professional. Instead of focusing on how to grow their careers, these young people will be bothered with cleaning up their social media presence with products like Brand Yourself.
Resentment
If the kids will be negatively affected by our actions as parents, don’t you think they will resent us? Having great moments with your kids is worth sharing. However, not every funny action your adorable child takes will actually be funny for them in future. Let’s exercise caution with how we use social media to document the lives of little kids. We need that special bonding we have with our kids to last a lifetime.
Do you think kids need some internet privacy even though they are too young to tell us? I believe that my social media account is for me, when my kids grow up, they can splash their account with as many images of themselves as they want but in a responsible way. Let’s hear your opinion on this matter in the comment section.
