Recent research by My Voucher Codes has shown that 38% of 18-24 year olds have sent an inappropriate selfie.
Compare this to the fact that 87% of the parents asked who said that they didn't think this is something their child would do.
The sort of selfies my boys take!
So why the disparity?
What worried me about these statistics as a Mum was that this was kids who had SENT an inappropriate selfie, not taken one or had one on their phone. When I was growing up photographs were something that were taken on film and sent away to be processed, so there was no way you would take an inappropriate picture! The only alternative was a polaroid camera and the film was prohibitively expensive.
Then there was also the fact that it wasn't so easy to share pictures when I was younger, there was no facebook, Instagram or Snapchat and once the negative and image was destroyed it was gone forever. Nothing that goes on the internet ever disappears.
How I am dealing with this as a Mum?
My boys are eight and nine and as of yet do not have mobile phones, but I feel that it is important top have an open line of communication when it comes to online safety and appropriateness.
They already know that anything that goes on the Internet is permanent and there is no way to take anything back.
As my work is online, I tell them that I never share anything online I wouldn't let people see, so I would never pop an image on facebook if we wouldn't be happy having it in a photo frame.
I hope by talking about this now, I prepare them for a time when they do have phones and access to online technology.
How would you handle it?
I think selfies are now as much a part of life as mobile phones and Facebook and as such we do need to talk to our kids about them. I like the idea of telling them you'd be happy to put the pictures on the wall.
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