One of the many unspoken traditions that come with the start of a new school year is the much-loved or most-annoying (depending on whose perspective you’re seeing) back-to-school pictures.
Whether it be the highlight of the doting parent commemorating the very first day of their child’s academic career or the pride-filled parent celebrating their child’s elevation to a new academic level, it’s the one picture parents feel an irresistible urge to share on social media.
Also read: Photos! Smiles, excitement and tears on the first day of school
While it’s easy to understand the need to share these important moments with friends, families and loved ones online, it’s imperative to keep in mind that posting pictures of your little ones, especially in uniform or at school, may compromise their safety.
Due to rapid increases in kidnappings, sharing pictures online and on social media may reveal critical details about your children and has become a cause for serious concern, The Citizen reported.
In an effort to alleviate these concerns, global sites such as Meta and Google have updated their platforms to increase their safety.
Meta launched its first youth and safety comic book, entitled #EbaSafeOnline, in partnership with Ethnikids Publishers to encourage online safety.
According to Meta, the comic book offers a powerful tool on how to safely navigate social media, with the comic’s characters helping to encourage open communication between parents and their children.
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Additionally, The Citizen added that the search engine giant Google has updated its platform to provide users with more control and privacy of personal information on search through updated policies on personal explicit images and the new SafeSearch and Results About You tools.
According to Southern African CEO Carey van Vlaanderen at cybersecurity company ESET, posting photos of children can be a risk to their safety as it might reveal some critical details about them, Female Entrepreneurs SA reported.
‘A first-day-of-school photo contains quite a lot of personal information, including your child’s school, their age and even their teacher’s name,’ notes Vlaanderen.
‘A good rule of thumb is, if there is the slightest doubt in your mind about a photo, it’s probably better not to post it,’ she adds. ‘Another is, to try and imagine how you’d feel if what you’re posting about your child were about you instead.’
Vlaanderen also pointed out that it’s worth noting that a picture posted online, ‘is no longer exclusively yours’ and ultimately forms part of your child’s overall digital footprint.
‘Aside from the potential harm of identity theft, posting about every single moment of your child’s life may reinforce less than healthy digital habits and create a perception that sharing information online, in whatever context, is safe and harmless,’ she warned.
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