Posting pictures online through social media has become the
"norm" for our society. Facebook users are constantly updating their
status, uploading and tagging pictures, and viewing their friends and families
profiles as well. Facebook is a fantastic way to stay connected to friends and
family who don't live locally and also a way to keep them included in one's
everyday life. However, the problem is that once you tag someone in a picture
it is then not only viewable by them but their friends. If their friends decide
to tag themselves it is also viewable by their friends and it goes on and on,
creating a chain reaction. Before you know it you have people commenting on a
picture you have posted and you have no idea who the person is.
An even greater issue arises when a person posts pictures of other
people's children on Facebook without their permission. While Facebook is
popular and well-liked by many there are people who choose not to use it. They
want their private lives to be just that, private. It should not be another
person's decision to make someone else's private life public. If an individual
wants to post a picture of their child with another child present in the
photograph they should ask permission from that other child's parent.
With advances in
technology we also have had advances in computer software. We have the ability
to crop photos and take out things we don't want in a picture. If a person asks
a parent if they can post a picture of their child online and they say no, then
that person can simply crop the child out. Parents have a responsibility to not
only love their children but to protect them as they see fit. The way I parent
and what I see as "okay" for my child is going to be different
then the way another person parents and sees as "okay" for their
child. Andy O'Donnell wrote an article for About.com and made a great point
when he stated, "We post pictures of our kids and tag them and their
friends, siblings, and other relatives. This kind of information could be used
by predators to lure your child. They could use your child’s name and the names
of their relatives and friends to build trust and convince them that they are
not really a stranger because they know detailed information that allows them
to build a rapport with your child". (O'Donnell) Asking
permission is simply the right, courteous, safe thing to do, especially
when children are involved.
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