It's 2019 and social media has never been a bigger part of our lives. In a lot of ways, being able to share instant pictures with friends and family of our kids can be a huge bonus. As parents, it's great to show how proud we are of our little ones...but the internet can also be a dangerous place.
While we all might know the basics of internet safety, there are a few things that we need to be wary of. If you don't mind having an open profile, then you may also be partial to using the occasional hashtag alongside a cute snap of your kid.
It might seem like a great way to create a special scrapbook of memories, but hashtags can have a dark side. According to Parents, pedophiles often look up specific hashtags that related to kids, such as #firstschoolphoto, or even #cutekid.
An innocent post can quickly turn into something dangerous and worrying. Although it's just a photo, a photo can speak a thousand words. You may tag your location, or upload a snap of your little one in their school uniform. Information like this could lead to stalking, or other unwanted attention directed at your child. According to experts, here are some particularly worrying hashtags that should be avoided:
- #bathtime
- #splishsplash
- #kidsswimwear
- #toddlerbikini
- #toilettraining
- #pottytraining
- #nakedbaby
- #nakedkidsarehappykids
- #diaperfree
- #naptime
As children are often prominently featured on their parent's social media, parents should check their security settings often. If you don't want a wide audience seeing your personal snaps but would still like family and friends to be involved, Facebook makes this easy. You can select specific friends to share posts and images with, creating a group that stays in your settings as an option.
While Instagram doesn't yet have a similar feature, you can set your profile to private. However, if you're a mommy blogger or someone trying to build an online presence, this isn't always viable.
The Child Rescue Coalition encourages parents to think carefully about the kind of photos they share. They suggest asking yourself several questions, like “Why am I sharing this? Would I want someone else to share an image like this of me? Would I want this image of my child viewed and downloaded by predators on the Dark Web? Is this something I want to be part of my child’s digital life?” If the answer to any of these is no, then veto the snap. After all, safety is worth more than likes.