Why I stopped sharing my kids’ faces online for the most part . . .
This is something I recently felt compelled to do for a multitude of reasons. My kids are among the first generation to always have the internet and social media. I was a young mom when they were born and just wanted to share their life with friends and family far away. I didn’t fully understand the concept: if it’s on the internet, it exists forever. My feelings have changed toward sharing my kids’ faces on social media for these reasons.
Privacy
My kids are getting older and might not want certain moments shared on social media. They might not want to have certain photos or videos out there when they are young men looking for a job.
Safety
I don’t need strangers knowing my kids’ names, where they attend school, and where we are. Also, I don’t want their photos being used in AI technology or for malicious purposes. I want to know exactly who can view the photos of my children and that’s hard to do.
Autonomy
My boys are turning into young men. That’s the goal: raising functional adults. I feel they deserve autonomy in what gets shared of them or their life. This is an easy place to start. For the most part, they don’t want to share their lives and I respect that.
Exceptions
I will share our professional family photos. I feel they know that they will be portrayed in the best light possible by our photographer who is a family friend. There’s nothing that would embarrass them now or in the future.
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They know they are being photographed expressly and know it will be used for Christmas cards as well as on our business website.
If it’s a big achievement, I will block their faces or make sure their faces are covered if I am sharing it on social media.
What about grandma?
A great way to stay connected other than social media is a shared Apple photo album, Google album, or text thread. Also digital photo frames are a fun way to share what your children are up to.
I don’t judge you for sharing every moment and win with your children. But this is what works best for our family and particularly reflects the wishes of my kiddos.
The opinions expressed in this post are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of OKC Mom, its executive team, other contributors to the site, its sponsors or partners, or any organizations the aforementioned might be affiliated with.
