Social Media - Sharenting

Following on from my previous post about the beast of social media where I briefly mentioned my concerns as a future parent in this age. I came across an article on BBC News regarding a new term which I had not come across before now... Sharenting.

Sharenting is supposedly the act of parents sharing news and pictures of their children on social media outlets such as Instagram, Facebook and so on often to publicly viewable profiles.

Has privacy and permissions regarding personal data gone too far in this modern age when children are accusing parents of breaching their right of privacy?

From my view, this all seems crazy. I get the need for privacy online, and am I for keeping your life hidden from the public and prying eyes of unwanted parties, however is the issue about the act of Sharenting or is it more about the issue with publicly viewable profiles. I think it's the latter.

The BBC article's quotes from their sources seem to lean towards the issue being that the images are publicly viewable rather than the presence of photos being online. So, surely what needs to be done, rather than images being removed and probably court cases coming up because of all this because parents are refusing to, some education to the parents regarding data security. I am sure those in the work places have gone through some education on the whole GDPR thing and should have passed some basic tests as part of their work requirements, but should it be more universal in this day and age.

I have seen some wonderful ideas being bandied about the interwebs regarding creation of profiles for children, collation of photos on an email to have a timeline for them to take over once of a certain age and the like. All of which sound like something sweet, awesome and something I'd have loved to have for myself. However, they need to all be done in a safe and secure way.

I have mentioned in my previous posts about embarrassing baby photos shown to the spouse by my parents. Now imagine if the naked baby pictures are up for all to see... think future employers, future lovers, friends and enemies. The damage is endless if you think about it. But if this is done in a safe and secure way the damage is virtually none. Private and secure profiles only viewable by the parents until a certain age, albums of photos password protected, or set to private for no-one to see are a few ways I can think of without much research into the topic.

As with the majority of things, Sharenting can be done, can be very positive and a blessing if it is does with tack, careful planning and in a secure manner. I, for one, would be a huge advocate of this 'Sharenting' business once it is my turn to raise a mini version of myself, however I would go for a tactful approach as it would not be about boasting or promoting the children, parenting skills or what ever, it would literally be a chronicling of the early years of the child. Mainly to create lovely memories in a format which would not be lost in a fire, flood or other natural disasters.

Would be interesting to hear others voices on this supposedly divisive topic of Sharenting in this modern world. Comment away!!

Social Media - The Beast of the Modern Age

Following on from my last post, as it was getting very long (longer than I had imagined) I decided to split that post as a setting the scene of my social media history and this post will get onto the problems of the modern age social media.

Having watched the Netflix documentary (Social_Animals), it made me realize that I am so happy and relieved that I am not growing up and in my teens now, in 2019.

The reliance on social media is crazy, and as someone on the periphery of social circles and normality, I have never understood this craze for likes from random people or the need for a picture perfect life to show others.

I mean, some people spend hours of time getting ready for a single image on their social media account which is followed by hundreds/thousands of random people who they have never met to just paw over and gawk at. Kids are getting into social media at younger ages, you see 10yr olds girls posing like models and middle aged men commenting on their pictures in a lewd manner which is beyond creepy. Is that sort of attention really what they want? Does that really make them feel better? One thing I am sure about, if a middle aged man made lewd comments over a 10yr old girl in public, face to face... there is no way the kid would be happy, they'd be scared and worried for their life. I can also say, there is no way in hell anyone would think it was acceptable either.

I've heard stories about people going onto their own photos as fake profiles to give negative comments and say abusive stuff to get more attention from friends. I've seen couples out in public glued to their phones seemingly oblivious to the world around them and the company they are out with. You get keyboard warriors and trolls who find it worth their time to berate random people for their content on youtube, their photos on their timeline or other things where if in person, in real life, it wouldn't even cross their mind to comment on. You get the idiots who seem to get a buzz out of causing grief to others online from behind the safety of their screen. The arseholes of the world have taken over a platform which was supposed to be used for a positive thing and have turned it into a nightmare which is causing countless suicides in young people, yet no-one feels accountable for what they say online.

When I say a platform for positive uses, I have experience of this as I met my ex through Myspace, my current spouse was a friend of theirs (i know a little awkward). Upon the break-up of the ex and I, Myspace provided the platform for communication for me, an awkward, shy and low on confidence person to be able to express myself in a way which took away such anxiety of the awkwardness of flirting and the pre-dating routines. Online messengers were a godsend for me. I overthink everything, struggle to get into conversations because I worry too much I'd say the wrong thing, get nervous about such things with people there, able to see me fail miserably at social contact. But, online messaging took all the issues away for me, i was able to be the funny, charming and awkwardly weird but in a good way person I am which would normally only be reserved to the few close friends who actually know me.

These messaging systems nowadays though, have a twisted nature about them. Constant harassment for nude pictures plague the majority of people on social media. They have become a platform for easy bullying where you don't even need to be with them to affect your target and with only a few taps at the keyboard. What was used as a great way for friends to catch up after school, or friends from other cities to keep in touch has become a monster fueled by trolls and cowards hiding behind their screens.

I am now at the age where a family, kids, are on the mind. We have a house, so next up is kids. But along with the usual fears of screwing them up, being a failure of a parent etc. etc. is this horrible uncontrollable thing which needs to be managed. How the hell would one protect their offspring from the evil side of social media without ruining the kid's life for being disconnected in such an interactive world we now live in.

Social media wasn't really about until my teens. My parents had none of these worries. The only pressure they had from me was to try and keep up with the ever developing phone industry. When social media got going, my parents had no idea about what it was, it's potential or it's dangers and luckily for them, it seems I was a responsible enough person to understand it myself. But when children in this age are being exposed to social media at younger and younger ages, in all honesty, it scares me shitless as I have no idea of how to manage such a problem without holding my child back and distancing them from their friends.

If there are parents out there who can assist in this feel free to comment as it is a genuine worry for me. How do you control the monster that social media has become and protect your children while not affecting their potential popularity?