the current digital world, parenting has been a challenging task. Most of the parents in the modern days tend to make hasty decisions.  They take photos and post them on social media without the consent of their children and this has created lifts between them and their kids when they find out about it. Much has been revolving around the issue where there have been contradictions on whether to post or not post photos of children without their approval on social media. The issue has never been given enough attention and much need to be done about it. It a lot to be desired in how the images and photos posted online will be used and how they will impact their lives in the future.  Most pictures taken and posted online have different emotions to the viewers. Some pictures may give a nostalgic enjoyment while others rekindle moments. Several pictures may seem to be embarrassing to some individuals and may make some people wish that the pictures were not posted.

Children are not able to choose the pictures that they would like to be posted by their guardians on social media.  Parents have been making decisions on behalf of their children which has become the major problem that might bring about some implications shortly. Good parenting would offer a chance to the children to give their opinions on how they feel about what is being posted on social media. When parents post images of their children online without consulting them it takes away the rights of their children. The situation might adversely affect the kids since ownership is lost as you have no control over where the images will end up.

Parents need to think much about the effects of the photos [posted online in a child’s perception. The reactions that the images attract may have either a positive or negative impact on the children’s self-esteem. There is also the issue of fake life in the social media that makes life appear to be unrealistic and the reality tampered with can result in children feeling greater anxiety, envy and ruin their self-esteem. Parents, therefore, need to think in a critical way when it comes to posting their kid’s photos online. However, there are several positive implications of posting photos online such as the provision of documentation platform for events and special occasions. It also provides an easier way of connecting with friends and family member which brings psychological comfort.  Sharing on social media creates access to information and large amounts of advice which were initially unknown. Mummy bloggers have brought about platforms on which to share experiences by different families which otherwise could not have been expressed. The notion can relieve some stressors that might be affiliated with the current world parenting. For kids born with complications, it is advantageous posting them online since they can find a solution to issues linked to health and get support from particular online forums.

There is a high need for taking some considerations before posting a kid’s photo on social media. Different people have different thinking and follow your social media accounts and an individual can have different opinions that an account owner might be able to handle some if not all. There are different opinions that people construct and some4 might be devastating and might affect the mindset of a child. There are challenges that parents face by keeping their children off social media. On a brighter note, posting online means that one does not have to share images to several individuals since they can access it on the media accounts and leave a comment and you get a chance to respond. Online accounts preserve images as precious memories. There are also pressures that parents get from the people around them when they post their children’s photos. For instance, an institution may like to use a baby’s photo for advertisements on social media. In this case, some of the family members might feel that the child is being used as a product for selling their ideologies.

With the recent changes in technology and social media and the debate will carry on being more sophisticated. Sharing on social media is an individual decision that requires great reasoning and deep individual choices. Posting a kid’s photo online does not entirely mean that you are morally wrong. Whatever right an individual chases to do is okay though it is very vital to take into consideration the challenges that might arise. One should put the interest of their kids in mind before posting them on social media. It is extremely hard to make the right decisions in connection to social media due to the emergence and rise of the new technology. Parents should make decisions that are right for their families regarding social media irrespective of other people’s opinions.

Work cited:

Lorenz, Taylor. “When Kids Realize Their Whole Life Is Already Online.” The Atlantic, 20 Feb, 2019, pp. 1 – 4. Retrieved on 13^th October 2019 from: https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/02/when-kids-realize-their-whole-life-alreadyonline/582916/