Today a child’s digital footprint is often created before they are even born, parents post ultrasound images, pregnancy updates, birth announcements and baby shower pictures online. Once the baby arrives even more is shared.
The moment you choose to post photos and personal information on the internet, your child’s digital footprint has been created.
A study by the security company AVG found that 92% of children in the United States have some type of online presence by the time they are 2 years old. A third of parents post pictures of newborns, and 34% of parents said they posted sonograms of their unborn children.
This may seem innocent enough but once that information is out there it can never be taken back.
This information is not only seen by the people you know but also by complete strangers.
Consequences of Creating a Digital Footprint
Invasion of Privacy
When you create a digital footprint for your child it takes their choice away. They may grow up to resent this invasion of privacy. Sharing personal information should be a choice they make as adults, it should not be made for them. Information parents share can pop up later in their lives when they enter the school system which can lead to bullying and online harassment.
It is Permanent
Once the information is online it is extremely difficult to remove it. You may be able to delete posts and pictures, but the data has most likely already been archived and passed on.
Can Be Seen by Anyone
Shared information can be seen by anyone and creates a “digital reputation” that can follow children for their entire lives. This could affect opportunities such as getting into college or finding a job. Online content is public, once something is shared online, it can be misused, modified, and passed on to others.
Anyone who has access can download the information and use it for their own purposes.
Can be Used for Exploitation
Any online information is at risk of being used by hackers and scammers for the purposes of identity theft and fraud. A child may not even realize their identity has been stolen until much later when they apply for a driver’s license or student loan. Recovering from identity theft is an expensive, time-consuming process. The information can also be used by child predators and other dangerous people which can lead to physical harm.
How Can You Protect Your Children?
Don’t post information about your children online, even though we live in a world where this is extremely common, that does not make it right or safe.
Consider how your child will feel when they are old enough to understand their digital footprint has been created for them, they may be embarrassed by the information that has been shared and might feel violated and resentful because they had no choice.
Don’t allow others to share photos of your children online.
Make sure your accounts are set to private and that only people you trust are allowed access.
When children are older and have their own social media accounts explain to them the consequences and dangers of sharing personal information. They should be taught how to secure their accounts.
Final Thoughts: A digital footprint is a collection of traceable online activities. Everything we do online can stay there forever and can be accessed by strangers who we never meant to share with. Teach children that privacy matters and they should keep personal and private information confidential.
The Tech Minimalist 