It’s still kind of bizarre to me that we live in a social-media age. I can only imagine what it will be like in years from now. That being said, I do post to social media regularly (though I still sometimes wish I could delete all accounts, I’d have too much FOMO). When it comes to our baby, however, I do think more deeply about it and I’m much more aware and intentional about what I post.
Deciding whether to share our child(ren) on the Internet is a rather unique dilemma our generation, and those to come, have to deal with. It’s of little surprise that many parents choose to do so since so much is shared on the World Wide Web. In fact, 92 percent of children have an online presence by age 2.
Deciding whether to share our child(ren) on the Internet is a rather unique dilemma our generation, and those to come, have to deal with. It’s of little surprise that many parents choose to do so since so much is shared on the World Wide Web. In fact, 92 percent of children have an online presence by age 2.
My husband and I have chosen to limit our baby’s internet presence. That means while you’ll find photos of him on the Internet, you won’t find many (see just one or two) of him alone publicly. And while you’ll see a posted photo on my Facebook every now and again if you’re my Facebook friend, a few days after it’s posted the album is made private.
Will our “plan” change as he gets older? Possibly. We’ll cross that bridge when we get there, though. For now this what we have and have decided not to share.
Will our “plan” change as he gets older? Possibly. We’ll cross that bridge when we get there, though. For now this what we have and have decided not to share.
What my husband and I have shared:
• Our baby’s name (post-birth)
• Photos of our baby and us on Instagram; otherwise his face is hidden
• Monthly progress photos (without specific milestones)
What we haven’t shared:
• Birth story
• Body (weight and length) stats
• My letter to him when I went back to work after maternity leave
• Our baby’s birth weight/length
• Bath time photos
• Naked photos
• Milestone monthly photos
There are lots of personal reasons parents have when making this decision. Key word: personal. This decision is a very personal one and what my husband and I have decided might not work for you or be what you want to do. That’s fine. It’s our decision and no one else’s, just as your decision is yours and no one else’s.
We believe most of what we don’t share should be kept private because though he is just a baby, he deserves his privacy, too. Plus, there are too many creeps out there.
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