By: Firsties

In today’s Digital Age where social media is omnipresent, it has become almost second nature for parents to share photos of their children on public platforms – a practice known as “sharenting.” However, putting photos of your kids on social media, no matter how cute they are, does not come without potential problems. While sharing your baby’s milestones online with your network might be convenient and common, the potential risks often outweigh the benefits.

Here are some of the issues that “sharenting” can cause:

1. Lack of Privacy and Security
   Traditional social media platforms are notorious for their lack of privacy. Even by enacting strict privacy settings, your photos can end up in unintended hands or be subject to data harvesting.
2. Algorithms and Ads
   Social media platforms thrive on advertisements and algorithms that prioritize engagement over connection. This often means your photos could be used to target you with unwanted ads or to feed content algorithms that further contribute to safety and privacy issues.
3. No Control Over Your Content
   Once you upload photos to social media, the platform often gains partial rights to the content, meaning they can use or share it without your consent. This means that your precious little one’s image could be co-opted by the platform in undesirable ways, or shared with people that you don’t know.
4. The Accidental Overshare
   The pressure of today’s digital-first world makes it easy and commonplace to share more than necessary online. The misuse of photos, cyberbullying, and identity theft can occur as an unintended consequence of online oversharing.

What Can Parents Do?

In the wake of increased “sharenting” trends, some parents are putting privacy first by turning away from big social media platforms and turning to secure family photo-sharing apps. Apps such as Firsties, which is dedicated to capturing and automatically organizing memories in a safe way, offer alternative platforms for a more intimate method of preserving and sharing your child’s precious moments.

Here are four ways that family photo sharing apps can help solve the “sharenting” problem:

1. Features That Put Parents First

Unlike social media platforms, private family photo-sharing apps like Firsties are tailored specifically for parents and kids, offering features that enhance the experience of documenting your child’s growth, including:

• Milestone Tracking: Many of these apps allow you to record milestones, like first steps or first words, to create a digital scrapbook of these special moments.
• Organized Albums: Photos and videos are automatically sorted into albums based on events, dates, or developmental stages, making it easy to revisit these memories.
• No Public Comment Section: Only family members and trusted friends can leave meaningful comments without the fear of public judgment.
• Comments: Selected invitees can also upload content contributing to your child’s story, but only with your permission.

2. Strengthen Family Connections

With loved ones often spread across the globe, keeping everyone updated on your child’s growth can be a challenge. Family photo apps create a centralized virtual Family Album where grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and close friends can feel connected no matter where they live. Some apps even offer live-streaming or real-time updates for special moments like birthdays or first steps or first day of school.

3. Preserve Precious Memories

Social media platforms may not be the most reliable place to store your memories. On the other hand, family photo apps often include secure, long-term storage options, ensuring your baby’s photos are safe for years to come. Some even offer downloadable archives for added peace of mind.

4. Safe and Secure

Family photo apps prioritize privacy, offering encrypted storage and access controls. You decide exactly who can see your child’s photos – whether it is just immediate family, or a trusted circle of friends – you maintain control. And unlike social media, which can expose your baby’s pictures to a public audience that you can’t control, family apps limit access to approved members only.

In Conclusion…

More and more parents are ready to make the switch from social media to private family photo sharing apps. Firsties, the smart baby book and family photo-sharing app, was created for and by parents to address the roadblocks towards creating a secure and intuitive interface for capturing and sharing the growth of your little ones without putting them at unnecessary risk. If you are trying to combat “sharenting” and keep your kids safe in the digital world, consider trying out a dedicated app like Firsties to share and store your memories – your children will thank you in the future!