Is it OK for parents to create social media accounts for their kids?

Plenty of us like looking at photos of cute babies online, but should we be uploading them?

Whether we like it or not, social media has invaded every aspect of our lives. Technology has made it easy for us to share recipes, shopping pointers, vacation photos, etc., but has also opened us up to new dangers.

Two theAsianparent Community users had similar questions about parents who create social media accounts for their young kids:

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Should kids be on social media?

Plenty of us love looking at photos of cute kids on the internet, and it’s easy to understand the impulse of wanting to share your baby’s cute mug with the world. “My friend has a Facebook account for her two-year old son,” wrote Rollie. V. “She uses it to post photos and videos of her little one. What’s funny is that it sometimes get more likes than of her real account.”

Several users thought that having social media accounts for kids seemed nonsensical and useless. “Completely ridiculous,” wrote Jared M. “It doesn’t serve a purpose, really. What does a child need a Facebook account for?”

But these accounts do serve a purpose for plenty of parents, like Ash T.’s friend: “One of my closest friends also has created social media accounts for her baby (now turning 3). She uses Facebook and Instagram as her medium to record her baby’s milestones. She said it is a form of a public diary for her baby.”

You could be putting your child in danger

As useful or entertaining as these social media accounts are, when you post your child’s photo online, you could be putting him at risk, making him vulnerable to online predators.

This could also be seen as a violation of your child’s privacy—are you sure she would appreciate having these photos online when she’s older?

There are other ways to record your child’s milestones.

You can go old school and use photo alums, like what Cindy S. suggested: “I understand how parents want to share every moment of their children’s lives, but instead of doing so on Facebook, wouldn’t it still be better to go old school and put them in photo albums? Nothing beats the classics! That way, they could show them to family and friends who visit—people who genuinely care and pose less of a threat to your kids’ safety later on.”

Photo: Dreamstime

Monica Y.H. wrote that maybe trying more secure apps would be a good alternative. “I found this app though First Smile. I’m still exploring it but it seems like a good avenue for parents who want to share pictures of their kids since there are separate areas where you post pics publicly and for your friends and family only.”

Remember not to get caught up in the social media craze.

There’s nothing like enjoying your child IRL, and why the rush?

Samantha J. summed it up perfectly when she wrote, “Your kid doesn’t need one yet and I think it’s best if your kids make one of their own when they’re old enough. Social media is for being social online. Kids who aren’t ready should just stay away for as long as they can, cause when they grow up they’ll for sure be on it 24/7.”

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