Watch the Posts, Parents

On a fun fall afternoon, it may seem harmless to jump in a pile of leaves with your kids — and post a photo of it on Instagram. It may seem harmless to tell family and friends on Facebook when your daughter’s next big game is, or where your son’s artwork is on display at school. It may seem harmless to brag, brag, brag about them.

You might even seek advice on occasion about your kids’ behavioral or health issues from all your online “friends.”

“It concerns me that we often post pictures that easily identify our location,” said one pediatrician.

Starting from the moment they’re born, there is a lot we share about our children on social media. But what do all these posts mean for our children’s safety — and what could that mean for them as they get older?

A new study presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference this week reveals there are risks parents need to keep in mind. Pediatricians are now being encouraged to talk with parents about a healthy online presence — especially when it comes to posting things about their kids.

“It is the norm in my practice to start seeing online posts of infants from the day they are born,” said Marnie Baker, M.D., a board-certified pediatrician with MemorialCare Medical Group and Saddleback Memorial Medical Center in Laguna Hills, California.

Related: Social Media is Not Your Friend

“We watch most of our children grow up online via social media, including pictures, videos, collages, and montages. I rarely see parents come in with baby books anymore, where they used to put photos, document milestones, and keep track of growth numbers at each visit. And it concerns me that we often post pictures that easily identify our location — putting our homes and our children potentially at risk,” she told LifeZette.

Previous research has shown that 92 percent of two-year-olds in the U.S. have an online presence — and about one-third make their first appearance on social media sites within their first 24 hours of life.

[lz_bulleted_list title=”A Safe Online Presence” source=”http://www.puresight.com”]GPS-enabled phones and location tracking integrated into photos by your camera or Smartphone make it easy to collect sensitive information such as your child’s school address, your family’s home address, and other places you frequent.|Face recognition software could make it easier for your children to be recognized digitally by strangers.[/lz_bulleted_list]

“The amount of information placed in the digital universe about our children in just a few short years is staggering,” said Dr. Bahareh Keith, director of the pediatric global health track and an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Florida College of Medicine, in a media release. Dr. Keith is also a co-author of the new report.

“Parents often consider how to best protect children while the child is using the internet. However, parents — including myself, initially — don’t always consider how their own use of social media may affect their children’s well-being.”

While social media can be a great resource for any parent, it’s important to consider both the immediate and long-term impact of posts about children.

Date of birth, place of birth, a child’s full name, or any photos tagged with geographical locations could easily make children the victim of identity theft — and with location services often attached to postings, it can be easy to track anyone down. The AAP also cautions that information shared can be stolen or repeatedly re-shared, unbeknownst to parents, potentially ending up in the hands of pedophiles or identify thieves.

Parents must familiarize themselves with the privacy policies of the sites they use, post anonymously if they choose to share about their children’s behavioral struggles, and give their children “veto power” over online disclosures — including images, quotes, accomplishments, and challenges.

Related: Overburdened Kids, Bad Parents

The AAP also advises that parents never share pictures that show their children in any state of undress or share their child’s actual location in a post.

From Baker’s perspective, “the most important advice to parents is to keep any social media accounts where you are sharing pictures of your family private — understand the privacy policies of the sites and apps you are using to post pictures, and do not let your child create [their own] social media accounts with fake birthdays. There are privacy laws protecting children under 13, but now we have 10-year-olds who have the online presence of an older child. It is very concerning.”

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She added, “Your child needs to understand the concept of the ‘digital tattoo’ and receive lots of guidance from you as they navigate their way to adulthood through social media.”