Baby's First Instagram: Why Parents Post Their Children On Social Media
Almost everyone on Earth is on social media. Facebook, the biggest platform, has 2.91 billion monthly active users. YouTube, meanwhile, has more than 2 billion regular users. Instagram has 1 billion, and Twitter has 211 million.
Although those below the age of 13 are not permitted to set up an account and use these platforms, many children have their own social media profiles. The children are not in charge of these accounts. Their parents are. While the name and the photos or videos are of the child, the adults are still doing the posting. Behind every caption are, still, the parents.
Kids on Social Media
There are arguments on whether parents should post photos, videos, and information about their children online. Many experts are concerned about the dangers of the internet, especially to vulnerable children who have not consented to have their faces or their lives broadcast to the internet.
There are also reasons why parents decide to share the experiences of their children online. Many young parents grew up using social media, and many of their own experiences were shared and documented on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. So, they see social media as an online scrapbook where memories are digitally immortalized.
It is also a way for parents to share updates about their children with family and friends who live far away. Facebook and other social media platforms are initially developed to connect people. Their loved ones from the other side of the globe can still witness the child's growth even if they are very far away.
Many parents also see their children's social media accounts to maintain their own identity outside of being mom or dad. Some of these profiles are private, and only people who the parents know can follow them. However, many of these profiles are public, which means that everyone who has access to the internet can see the posts.
Child Influencers
There are also parents who are monetizing the social media accounts of their children. Being an online influencer is big business. Take Ryan Toys Review, for example. The young YouTuber reportedly has a net worth of $32 million as of 2020. Aside from having millions of followers on YouTube, Ryan's World now has its line of toys.
Taytum and Oakley Fisher, who have 2.9 million followers on Instagram and 4.36 million on YouTube, have promoted almost everything online, from car seats to cruises. Sponsored posts on the family's YouTube channel can reportedly fetch between $25,000 to $50,000 per video.
Many celebrities do not shy away from sharing photos and videos of their children on social media for their millions of followers to see. For example, Kim Kardashian-West and Kylie Jenner, whose daily activities are broadcasted publicly through social media, reality television, or paparazzi photos, often feature their children on their Instagram.
The social media content of kid influencers is similar to older internet celebrities. They pose for photos, too, sometimes with the product or brand being promoted. Their parents may hire professionals who know newborn photgraphy and editing to create photos that will gain attention online. They also feature in videos that their parents captured and posted.
Unfortunately, it is not just their fans who follow these young celebrities on social media. They become targets of unwanted attention, both from potential criminals and deluded fanatics.
Children on Social Media
Because of the need for people to connect online, there are social media apps developed specifically for children. YouTube seeks to protect young users through YouTube Kids, a platform that contains all the child-friendly content. GoBubble is not just a social media app for kids; it is also a platform for students to encourage collaboration and learning.
But regardless of social media platforms being used, parents need to be careful of what they post online and monitor their children's activity on the internet. Many predators are lurking around the web and looking for victims. Parents should never disclose sensitive information such as home addresses and schools online for the safety of their children.
Moreover, parents should also refrain from posting photos that the wrong people with malicious intentions can use. Not all followers of a child's social media account are fellow parents and loved ones who only want to see cute baby pics. Parents should anticipate how predators and cybercriminals will look at a post.
People around the world use social media for different reasons and purposes. However, the internet is not a safe place. Parents can decide to put their children on social media, but they should always be careful of their posts and think of potential ramifications.