It wasn’t too long ago that many moms and dads took to their social media accounts to share photos and posts of their children’s most memorable moments, their birthdays and celebrations, and their special milestones.
Apparently, that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore as many parents now admit that they feel more fearful about posting their kids’ pictures online. As a matter of fact, about one third of parents with children under the age of 18 say that they are more careful about what they post on social media now than ever before.
According to PC Mag, one of the reasons why moms and dads are now hesitating before they hit the “post” button is because they are worried about online predators and someone possibly stealing their children’s images online.
In a survey of 2,003 adults that was conducted between the months of March and April of 2019, six in ten parents says that they refrain from posting photos of their kids online because of their privacy concerns. In addition, over 85 percent of the same parents that were surveyed said that they are either very or somewhat concerned about a third party accessing their children’s data. Surprisingly, only 2 percent of those surveyed didn’t express any concern at all.
And even though many parents are expressing more concern about their children’s digital footprints, many still don’t review the list of permissions that apps usually ask for when someone downloads a new one on to their phone or electronic device or tablet. Little do adults know that when you give permission for third parties, the apps might access such things are your camera and your microphone.
If that weren’t enough, many parents also aren’t doing enough to monitor what apps their children are downloading on their own phones. Many young children under the age of 13 already have social media accounts, despite the fact that they are still under the legal age to have one of their own. Many technology experts are urging parents to go over certain guidelines with their children and to make sure that the proper privacy settings are in place at all times.