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Too cute not to post?: Sharing children’s photos online may put them at risk
Child psychologist Amanda Margia Agustario urged parents to ask themselves before posting their children's photos: For whose sake am I sharing this moment? Is it really for my child? Or is it only to feed my ego to show the world that I can raise such a smart and talented kid?
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Facebook and Instagram require everyone to be at least 13 years old before they can create an account. But in Indonesia, it is a trend among parents – including celebrities and influencers – to create their offspring’s Instagram account only days after the children are born. (shutterstock.com/Twin Design)
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27-year-old mother, Amalina, could not resist the temptation to share the overwhelmingly cute activities of her 1-year-old son, Rabbani, with her family members and friends.
She set up an Instagram account dedicated to her son, where she shared 180 photos and videos of her toddler to over 300 followers.
“People who care about parenting and want to engage with Rabbani’s content could, therefore, follow his account,” she said.
The Instagram account features Rabbani’s first attempt to crawl, walk and eat by himself. There is also this sweet moment of Rabbani going to the beach with his mother and father. Most of the posts have received dozens of likes.
At a glance, there seems nothing wrong with parents sharing their children’s news and pictures online, also known as “sharenting”. But experts have warned that the posts may put children under stress and compromise their online privacy.
Child psychologist Amanda Margia Agustario encouraged parents to think twice before posting their children’s photos on Facebook or Instagram.
“Parents should ask themselves beforehand: for whose sake am I sharing this moment? Is it really for my child’s benefit? Or is it only to feed my ego to show the world that I can raise such a smart and talented kid?”
