When it comes to responsible digital parenting, it is hard to draw the line that defines the breach of children’s rights, along with jeopardising their safety and the safe sharing of photo- and video materials to keep memories. However, there are some basic rules to follow in order to make social media interaction as safe as possible.
According to Kaspersky’s “Growing Up Online” research results, nearly half of all the survey participants (47%) from South Africa post pictures or videos of their children or share posts about their children on social media. 29% of these parents also add some additional personal information with the post, like for instance, the name of the child (32%), geolocation (31%), or stories from the child’s life (50%). At the same time, 18% share this information while having no privacy restrictions on their social media accounts and are therefore letting anyone see it. Such behaviour can put children at risk by exposing their identity, location, and/or personal moments to strangers, who could potentially misuse this information.
Most of the parents surveyed, who are posting their children’s photos or videos, do it with good intentions: to keep memories (76%), when being proud of the child for achievements (50%) or just wanting to share information about the child’s life with relatives and friends (23%). However, they can underestimate the associated risks in cyber space.
“It is difficult to determine the line between sharing information that is safe and compromising a child’s safety. However, it is essential to resist the urge to share too much online, as this can put children’s safety and privacy at risk. Sharing personal details with strangers can expose children to identity theft, stalking, and exploitation. It can also affect a child’s digital footprint, potentially leading to embarrassment, bullying, or reputational harm later in life. Additionally, children may feel a loss of control or resentment about their online presence as they grow older,” explains Kim Grobbelaar, Consumer Channel Manager in the Middle East and Africa at Kaspersky.
To safeguard our children’s data and to share safely, Kaspersky strongly recommends following this advice:
- Limit access to your social media profiles and make them visible to friends only (but always mind that you add to the list of friends the people you know personally). Do not forget about general safety settings such as two-factor authentication in the Instagram app and a secure password.
- Do not share the materials that may cause any harm for your child – that includes personal photos and videos, other information that is not meant for public – the contacts of your child, the name of their school, etc.
- Think about a reliable security solution like Kaspersky Premium. It incorporates the Kaspersky Safe Kids module and helps to guard family members and private data.
