Social media etiquette: Always ask before you post a picture of your child (or parent) online

While parents should listen to their children’s concerns and perhaps take down a photo if they are unhappy about it, it is hard to define when a parent needs to ask for permission.

Some family vloggers capture the daily lives of their children and post them on YouTube. However, it is clear that these children are too young to understand the complexity of social media, let alone be able to give permission. Even if they agree to being filmed, it is hard to tell whether they are truly aware of the impact of these videos being published on the internet.

On the other hand, many people share photos with their parents on social media to celebrate Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, and it is very likely that some of those parents might not even be aware of how the online world works. Shouldn’t they also be consulted first? It is unfair that their privacy is sacrificed just so their children can tell their followers how much they love their parents.

When ordinary teenagers already have so many insecurities, it is easy to see why children of public figures, such as Apple, would not want to be in the public eye. As we know, the internet is not the friendliest place in the world, and there are always online trolls waiting to cause distress.

Moreover, just as actress Kristen Bell pointed out recently, children of celebrities have a higher risk of being stalked by strangers. Therefore, to protect their safety, Bell limits her children’s exposure by using emojis to block their faces.

At the end of the day, perhaps people should always take care whenever they post images or videos of other people online. Be respectful of people’s wishes and never post something if you were explicitly told not to do so.

And when in doubt, just ask! A simple question can definitely make everyone more comfortable.

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