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Should toddlers be on social networking sites?

**helen****helen** Deactivated Posts: 9,235 Supreme Poster
in Sex & Relationships
Hey guys, further to Evenstar's thread about the baby clothes pics, I came across an article written by Hannah, aka Spanner who used to be a mod here. :)

I think it's an interesting continuation about presence of little-ones online, would be cool to hear your thoughts!

http://conversation.which.co.uk/technology/should-toddlers-be-on-social-networking-sites/
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Everytime i see a picture of someones baby or toddler on facebook i have mixed feelings. Part of me thinks they shouldnt be there, for the security of the child more than anything but the other part thinks its fine to want to share the photos of your loved ones. Plus, there are settings on facebook where you can make an album or some photos private so that only certain people can see them. Maybe this needs to be more well known

    Do we really need to see a blurry picture of your bump? Personally, I can live quite happily without it and wait to meet your bundle of joy in person. After all, technology’s great, but it can’t replace the real thing.

    As for this part, well if you dont like it, dont look at it
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I think toddlers shouldn't be on the Internet at all. I might be a little bit old fashioned here, but it ruins the life of young adults and kids as it is and I definitely don't need my kid in a much susceptible age getting drawn into virtual reality.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Wait. Spanner was a girl? Not sure I ever realised that.

    Profiles - no
    Photos - why not?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    THE KIDS! WON'T SOMEONE PLEASE THINK OF THE KIDS!

    Creating a FB account for your two-year-old is a bit creepy. Showing people photos of their kids is just what parents do, isn't it?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    CptCoatHanger wrote: »
    THE KIDS! WON'T SOMEONE PLEASE THINK OF THE KIDS!

    Creating a FB account for your two-year-old is a bit creepy. Showing people photos of their kids is just what parents do, isn't it?

    agreeeeeeeeee
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    As well as social networking, toddlers can be seen on photo-hosting sites like Flickr, Photobucket, Smugmug, deviantART. They can also be seen on any online clothing catalogue shop that sells kids clothes. Don't forget that they appear offline too, on birthday cards, magazines, catalogues and on CD/DVD box art. I therefore feel that if parents want to share pictures of their kids on the net, then it's their prerogative. Like Lexi said, you can share albums privately so that only those on your buddy list can see the pix.

    Going back to social networking, people also make separate accounts for their pets. In my opinion, I think that kids / pets should reside within the parents' account. In the album organiser, you can create new albums that exclusively contain the kid / pet photos.

    Think of it this way: Old farts like me will remember 35mm photography. We used to develop our films and put them into physical albums. Our albums very likely have had kid / pet photos, but they all lived in the same person's house, probably on the same shelf as one another. Creating a separate Facebook account for your dog would be equivalent to taking the pet album off your shelf and placing it in the dog's kennel permanently.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I don't think people should post pics of their kids u don't know who may gain access to them even if they are set to private someone with knowledge to crack stuff could get to them, if u want to share u could email a few to friends or family, i am not on facebook ( i used to be) its not the way forward if u ask me i think people are forgetting how to socially interact with each other now, and instaead of going out in the fresh air for a walk or a meet up with friends they plonk themselves in front of p.c for hours on end:chin: .
    Also people use it as a way of gaining info about you where your going, who your out with, when your on your hols wayyyyyy to much information if u ask me , if someone wnats to know anythin about me they can ask lol x
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I agree with the general concensus that pics are fine, but making profiles for your little ones is pretty weird.
    I have to admit that I did stop and consider the implications before I first shared my baby’s pictures on Facebook… Was it fair to create an ‘online footprint’ she wasn’t aware of? What if she objected when she was older?

    I object to the pictures my parents took of me on the toilet when I was learning to use it (and have since shown to every boyfriend I've ever had). That's just how it is.
    I think parents should assume a certain amount of responsibility over what kind of photos they upload, and where they put them (I'd never put naked photos on, for example) but boring friends and family with endless pictures of your children is just something parents do.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I added my tattoo artist on facebook. He/his lady made a facebook for his kid. BEFORE IT WAS BORN. :yuck:
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Well, if it gets the toddlers reading and typing early, I'm all for it.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    For a start, setting up a profile for your young toddler is amount to impersonation/fake profiles. That itself is quite wrong in my eyes.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Monserrat wrote: »
    As well as social networking, toddlers can be seen on photo-hosting sites like Flickr, Photobucket, Smugmug, deviantART. They can also be seen on any online clothing catalogue shop that sells kids clothes. Don't forget that they appear offline too, on birthday cards, magazines, catalogues and on CD/DVD box art. I therefore feel that if parents want to share pictures of their kids on the net, then it's their prerogative. Like Lexi said, you can share albums privately so that only those on your buddy list can see the pix.

    Going back to social networking, people also make separate accounts for their pets. In my opinion, I think that kids / pets should reside within the parents' account. In the album organiser, you can create new albums that exclusively contain the kid / pet photos.

    Think of it this way: Old farts like me will remember 35mm photography. We used to develop our films and put them into physical albums. Our albums very likely have had kid / pet photos, but they all lived in the same person's house, probably on the same shelf as one another. Creating a separate Facebook account for your dog would be equivalent to taking the pet album off your shelf and placing it in the dog's kennel permanently.

    My cat loves having his own facebook account. It's not just for photos, he does status updates, animal rights campaigns and has all kinds of cat friends who he communicates with. He goes on chat too, mostly he says miaow miaow because he's a cat. :hyper:
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Some grown ups don't even have facebook accounts. I'm always suspicious of them, if you're not on fb, perhaps you don't really exist?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Randomgirl wrote: »
    My cat loves having his own facebook account. It's not just for photos, he does status updates, animal rights campaigns and has all kinds of cat friends who he communicates with. He goes on chat too, mostly he says miaow miaow because he's a cat. :hyper:

    Woof
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    katralla wrote: »
    Some grown ups don't even have facebook accounts. I'm always suspicious of them, if you're not on fb, perhaps you don't really exist?

    I'm not on Faceook/Twitter/Myspace, therefore I don't exist.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Randomgirl wrote: »
    My cat loves having his own facebook account. It's not just for photos, he does status updates, animal rights campaigns and has all kinds of cat friends who he communicates with. He goes on chat too, mostly he says miaow miaow because he's a cat. :hyper:

    A FB friend of mine has profiles for her hamsters.:eek2: Seriously - wtf?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Monserrat wrote: »
    I'm not on Faceook/Twitter/Myspace, therefore I don't exist.

    exactly!
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Where I live baby sites are a big phenomenon. People make them for their kids sometimes before they're conceived and put ultra sound photos there, descriptions of the pregnancy and of course more content once the child's born.

    There was a shock not long ago when people discovered some of these sites were being linked to on paedophile sites due to pictures of naked kids. It's made people more aware that perhaps open access to all isn't such a clever thing.

    I personally don't think any harm is being done in most cases. I don't think sharing pictures is harmful as long as you screen the unappropriate ones out (I feel the same way about people putting really bad pictures of me on FB and tagging me).
    I however think making profiles and writing on behalf of your kid (or pet) is just silly. Just like I won't be dressing my kid in clothes with stuff like "I love dad/mum" because I think it's wrong to put words like that in an infant's mouth. It just makes me cringe seeing that.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Melian wrote: »
    A FB friend of mine has profiles for her hamsters.:eek2: Seriously - wtf?

    i have one for my chickens, katralla is their friend :heart:
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I used to have a fan page for my dog. He had over 200 fans. :heart:
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    katralla wrote: »
    exactly!

    But I exist on here, so I do have an online presence. I just don't grasp the 'obligatory' nature of FB.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    katralla wrote: »
    Some grown ups don't even have facebook accounts. I'm always suspicious of them, if you're not on fb, perhaps you don't really exist?

    I Tweet therefore I exist. I FB therefore I have friends.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    like
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Lol, that's the last time I post in the parents' section.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Just get a FB.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Or Twitter...
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Be safe, get both.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    MoK wrote: »
    I Tweet therefore I exist. I FB therefore I have friends.

    :lol: Friends of the internet type, yes!
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    katralla wrote: »
    Some grown ups don't even have facebook accounts. I'm always suspicious of them, if you're not on fb, perhaps you don't really exist?

    I'm not on facebook and i exist lol, i just think its a bit sad people feeling the need to be in touch with people or adding people so everyone can see whats going on in your life like a popularity contest, if i am not friends with u in REAL life why would i want u 2 know where or what or who i am meeting?
    I am not calling everyone sad but there are some out there so i am sorry if anyone feels offended its just my opinion, (sorry) x
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I cannot be offended by one who exists not.
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