We live in a society where social media dominates. However, posting baby pictures online can be risky for parents and their children if they are not careful. This blog post will discuss the risks of posting baby pictures on social media, as well as provide tips to keep your child’s photos safe from hacking or other dangers.
Why do we post on social media?
But now, Facebook and other social media platforms have become our online scrapbook where we share everything from the birth of our baby to their first steps to their cute little butt in the bathtub.
Social media is a way to share your new little one with family and friends. But, thanks to apps and features such as Time Hop or Facebook’s On This Day, you will be reminded of that post a year, or even years from now and can get a glimpse back at when your child was younger.
Risk of Posting Baby Pictures on Social Media
As parents, we want to share pictures of our kids with friends and family. However, posting baby pictures on social media can be risky for your child if you are not careful about who sees the photos or how they were taken.
Legal experts say that posting baby pictures on social media can put your child at risk. It is best to consult with an attorney if you think a photo of your child was posted without consent and poses some type of danger for the child.
- There have been cases where parents have lost custody of their children or faced criminal charges because of pictures posted on social media. In some instances, the child was abused and the photo was used as evidence in court.
- Even if you do not think a photo is harmful, posting baby pictures on social media can still be risky. For example, photos of your child in compromising or embarrassing situations could be used by an estranged spouse in a custody battle.
- One of the biggest risks is that strangers can see your child’s picture and may be able to identify them, which could lead to kidnapping or other harm coming to your child. There have been cases of parents posting their children’s pictures online and then later finding out that their child was kidnapped as a result of those pictures being online.
- Another risk is that predators may use baby pictures as a way to lure in unsuspecting victims. They may pretend to be someone who wants to help the child or they may even pose as the child’s parent in order for the victim to let down their guard. Predators search social media sites for pictures of children to use for their own purposes, so it is important to be aware of this danger and to keep your child’s pictures as private as possible.
- It is also important to be aware of the fact that once you post a picture online, it becomes public and there is no way to take it back. Even if you delete the picture from your social media account, it can still be found online by others. So, before posting any pictures of your child online, make sure that you are comfortable with them being potentially seen by anyone who may want to see them.
How to Safely Post Baby Pictures on Social Media?
- Make sure that you only post pictures of your child that are appropriate
- Do not put personal information about the child online
- Don’t share too much detail on social media
- Never use identifying photos when posting images, such as a picture of their face or clothing
- Never put pictures of your children where it is easy for someone to take a picture without you knowing
- Do not post any identifying information, such as birthday parties or school events
- Only share images with people that are necessary (i.e., family and friends)
- If you do not feel comfortable posting pictures on social media, don’t
- Delete any inappropriate comments and block the person who left it
- Disabling the ability for people to share your post.
- Set your profile and photos to where only friends can see.
- Make yourself unsearchable on Facebook – you have to search for people you want to add, they can’t find you.
Conclusion
While posting baby pictures on social media can be a lot of fun, it is important to take some safety measures first. By following the tips in this blog post, you can help keep your child’s pictures safe from harm.
Ultimately, nobody can make the choice but you… And for most, myself included, it is a gray area. We live in a world where social media is at the center of our social lives, but what things should we still keep private? Just how safe is everything we post on social media?
The best advice I can give is:
Beware of the risks, monitor your account settings, be selective with what you post.
Let us hear from you: Do you have a strong opinion on why you should or should not post your children on social media? Let us know what you think and why.
Check out our recent post Kids and Social Media What Is Safe?
My name is Andrea Thompson and I’m a home based freelance writer. I’m 23 years old, married to my best friend, and mother to a wonderfully independent and opinionated 3 year old girl and step-mother to a sweet seven year old boy. I live in a tiny, little town in Kentucky, where I spend my free time fishing with my kids.
Writing has always been my passion, which I followed through high school, and for a while in college. Life happened, and once I discovered we were pregnant, I switched directions; opting for the healthcare industry because of the stability.
Finally, years later, I was in a place where I could leave the day job that never truly made me happy, and pursue my dreams. I’ve built, and am still building, my writing career from scratch. But, I’m passionate and I’m good at what I do. And, in the end, I can prove to my daughter that she can do anything she wants with this life.
