When Kids Realize Their Whole Life Is Already Online
Not all kids react poorly to finding out they’ve been living an unwitting life online. Some are thrilled. In fourth grade, Nate searched his name and discovered that he was mentioned in a news article about his third-grade class making a giant burrito. “I didn’t know,” he said. “I was surprised, really surprised.” But he was pleased with his newfound clout. “It made me feel famous … I got to make new friends by saying, ‘Oh, I’m in a newspaper [online],’” he said. Ever since, he has Googled himself every few months, hoping to find things.
[...] Once kids have that first moment of realization that their lives are public, there’s no going back. Several teens and tweens told me this was the impetus for wanting to get their own social-media profiles, in an effort to take control of their image. But plenty of other kids become overwhelmed and retreat. Ellen said that anytime someone has a phone out around her now, she’s nervous that her photo could be taken and posted somewhere. “Everyone’s always watching, and nothing is ever forgotten. It’s never gone,” she said.
[...] Still, Jane—who, like all the other kids in this story, spoke to me with her parents’ permission—worries. She’s too young to navigate the web on her own, but she feels that a lot of what’s out there on the internet about her is beyond her control. “I don’t really like how people know things about me, and I don’t even know them,” she said. “Thousands and millions of things are out there maybe.” Andy, also 7, is always on the lookout for people who might take unflattering photos of him. He once caught his mother taking a photo of him sleeping and, another time, doing a silly dance. He immediately told her not to post it on Facebook, and she obliged. He felt the photos were embarrassing.
Remember your search engine is watching you when you search for yourself.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 21 2019, @08:10AM (3 children)
Hey! Check this out! Here's a pic of my ****! OMG! It's full of stars!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 21 2019, @01:58PM (2 children)
The "****" stands for "flag", right?
(Score: 3, Funny) by Snow on Thursday February 21 2019, @05:16PM (1 child)
Just the pole.
(Score: 3, Funny) by bob_super on Thursday February 21 2019, @11:10PM
If the stars on your pole last for over 4 hours, you may want to consult your doctor, or your tattoo artist.