A Child's Digital Footprint — Designing for "Preserving" and "Protecting" at the Same Time

5 min read日本語版あり
Audience
Parents who have posted photos of their children on social media; parents of older primary-school children whose online activity is increasing
Target length
~1,600 words
Status
Draft v2 (translated from Japanese v1)
Original
../188_digital_footprint_safety.md

Lead

A child who has had photos posted about them since birth discovers their internet presence at age 10. What they find is a version of themselves they did not choose.

Posting photos of one's child on social media — "" — is now widespread. A 2019 Nominet survey found that 75% of parents post photos of their children online [1]. The motivation is almost always affectionate — sharing joy, documenting development, keeping extended family close. None of it is malicious. But when the child grows up and becomes aware of their digital identity, how they feel about that record is a separate question.

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