The visibility of children has been a hot topic of conversation online for years. Many parents have voiced their concerns about posting their children on social media, with some asking whether sharing children’s lives online violates their privacy. Each social media platform has restrictions on children’s content — for good reason. This post explores the topic of children on the internet and safer ways to share family content.
Family channels and social media platforms can connect parents worldwide through share parenthood content that shows the good and hard sides of parenting. But recently, popular creators have stopped showing their children on their platforms. For example, Sarah Therese left her YouTube channel and then returned with a new one focusing less on her children. So why are more family influencers choosing not to share their children’s faces online anymore?
While parenting hacks, motherhood struggles, or family vlogs are popular online, with some influencers gaining millions of followers, many of these influencers are choosing to no longer focus their content on their children — or are at least refraining from showing their faces.
Creator Sam Ozkural has done just that. She continued to create content and share her daughter, just without showing her face.
Reasons to restrict children online
The main reasons people are pulling their children off their content are:
Safety
One of the biggest reasons parents have stopped sharing every detail about their children is because it’s easy for people to find information such as addresses online these days. People are finding creators’ home addresses and even their children’s schools. Plus, many viewers know children’s names and what they look like, which in the wrong hands, can lead to a dangerous situation.
Channel focus
Some moms and parenting channels are pulling back on showing their children’s faces and focusing their content back on them as the parents and their interests and hobbies outside of parenting.
Inappropriate or mean comments
Some parents who show their children have pulled them back offline when mean commenters go after their looks or other inappropriate comments about minors. While adults know that their online content “lives forever,” children don’t. Choosing to not show children online is meant to protect them from online harassment or harsh comments.
Child’s privacy and future
Creators like Alliy Scott are taking into consideration that their children might not want their faces and lives plastered online when they get older. This allows the child to decide how they want to share themselves online in the future.
Safer way to include children in content?
There is no right or wrong answer on this topic. Plenty of parenting or lifestyle influencers are still choosing to share their children in a safe way. Some share their children until the child asks to no longer be included. As a parent first and a creator second, you need to choose what is best for you and your family.
Some ways to include children:
- Talk about parenting experiences in content without specific or embarrassing details about the children.
- Don’t show their faces.
- Only share children sporadically.
- Don’t reveal personal information such as locations, school names, teacher names, and other details.
- Set boundaries. Allow children the option to opt out of being shown in content.
- Don’t share personal or private moments.
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