Well Hello Irony, It’s Been a While
Blair Koenig of STFU Parents has hit the lady-news. I’ve loved STFU Parents for ages as I think it does a good job of poking fun at the parents who really might want to back away from the keyboard.
This morning mom bloggers are all over Facebook and complaining about the fact that they should be able to post to facebook and have it be private. It’s just for friends. These are bloggers.
I have told my children that anything you put in writing is public. Always. This includes but is not limited to notes passed in class, emails, DMs, text messages and essays. When my children got smart phones we talked about pictures you’re allowed to take and pictures you are not allowed to take. We talked about the need to ask your friends if they like their photo before sharing it on instagram, Facebook or even snapchat. We talked about how Jane or Alexander might think that something is adorable but it might make their friends feel badly and it was up to them not share those sorts of images.
In comes the new digital parent with pictures of potty training, vomit and vagina destruction. Granted most of these posts are facebook updates (as opposed to blogs) but they’re still posts about the kids and using the kids’ images…. because ya know… our kids are our property. Oh wait, they aren’t?
The reactions are beyond entertaining. Women who have built careers (or hobby blogs) around the exploitation of their children’s images/developmental milestones/foibles are the most vociferous critics of Blair’s apparent violation of their privacy.
Hey pot, meet kettle. Y’all have a lot in common.