The Friday Focus - Bursting the Privacy Bubble

In a generation where even our children and pets have a Facebook or Twitter account, many critics are expressing concern over how much damage social media is doing to privacy.


Social media has no doubt taken the world by storm, and even I have posted the occasional picture of a cute baby cousin or—might I brag—adorable pet fish.

But moving away from the pet aspect of it all, there seems to be a pretty big controversy brewing over the ethics associated with flaunting our family photos for literally the globe to see.

Sites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and now 23snaps (Check out this article on 23snaps to learn more.)—a site geared specifically toward sharing your children’s photos, videos, and other information—make controlling children, whether they be infants or teens, and their privacy as simple as clicking a mouse.

I mean, who’s 6-month-old is going to object to having their chubby-cheeked face plastered all over the Internet?  And who’s 5-year-old is going to have any idea that mommy posted that video of him skinny-dipping in the kiddy pool to YouTube?

The kids may not be crying foul (yet), but the argument at hand is that because of this “Facebook parenting” style, these children have already lost control of how the world views them—and how they view the world.  It isn’t just their privacy that’s been thrown out the window; their first impressions have already been made by their well-intentioned parents, and these youngsters are quickly taught that advertising their likenesses and information all across the Web is the norm.

Now to be fair, this could easily become commonplace in this day and age—if it hasn’t already.  After all, the social media explosion has come in the midst of a generation known for its “helicopter parenting,” where kids are kept on leashes and the comedy “Bubble Boy” is ultimately brought to life—and then some.

With some parents at the helm of their children’s academic, career, and even social lives, who’s to say mom and dad are out of line for innocently adding an album to Facebook that chronicles their child’s everyday life?

Regardless, the next 10-20 years will give us a better idea of just how detrimental social media has been to our children’s privacy and overall sense of self.  Needless to say, I’ll be thinking twice before I post ANYTHING online again!

MARA JOFFE

Blogger