You’re scrolling through your social media feed when you come across a video of a mom humorously giving a tour of her teen daughter’s messy bedroom. The post has a ton of likes and comments from other Y parents saying how much they can relate. Many parents think these posts complaining about how hard it is to raise teenagers are hilarious. But the kids who are the subjects of these posts might not always agree. What do you think? Is it OK for parents to post about their teens on social media, or should they keep their thoughts about their children private?
Should Parents Post About Their Kids?
Yes
Yes, I think it’s OK for parents to post about their kids. These posts may seem embarrassing, but they actually reflect the parents’ love for their kids. This happened to me. I was baking cookies for my church’s fundraiser, and I used salt instead of sugar. My mom posted a photo on social media. The comments from her friends were both funny and supportive. The incident has become a family joke. Sure, there are times when I cringe at what my parents post. But I understand that they’re just proud of me. As long as parents don’t share their kids’ personal information or post anything too embarrassing, social media can be a way for parents to show their affection for their families.
—Gavin Villepigue, Connecticut
No
No, posting about your kids is not OK for many reasons. For one thing, many children are too young to give proper consent to having their lives made public. There’s also a safety aspect: The parents may be putting their kids in danger of being exposed to cyberbullying or even online predators. And parents who post jokes at their kids’ expense could be compromising their relationships with their children. They might send the message to their kids that getting likes is more important than personal relationships. Overall, the privacy, safety, and emotional well-being of children should be prioritized over any potential entertainment value of posting about your kids.
—Erinn Luo, New York
Should parents post about their kids?
Should parents post about their kids?
Should parents post about their kids?