Reporting Live from the Crib
Posted: January 17, 2o15, 11:30 a.m.
by Michelle Pierce.
In this day and age, it seems that I can’t go anywhere without spotting a group of friends or an individual snapping a quick selfie to share on social media. The signature duck-face, along with many other facial expressions, is now considered a societal norm.
The addiction of sharing our lives with the general public is increasing throughout our population one selfie at a time, but have we taken this phenomenon too far?
According to an article from CNN, “Children grow up learning that posting pictures of one’s self and sharing personal information is typical. We’ve created a sense of normality about a world where what’s private is public. The sense of being entitled to privacy has been devalued.”
A premature presence
A study commissioned by Anti Virus Guard found that 92 percent of U.S. children have some type of online presence by the time they are 2 years old. A third of U.S. mothers posted pictures of newborns, and 34 percent of U.S. mothers said they had posted sonograms of their unborn child.
Should these photos posted by “proud parents” be considered an invasion of privacy?
Dutch designer Laura Cornet wondered the same thing. In a CNN article she said “her research suggested half of newborn babies were ‘visible’ online within the first day after birth.”
For her graduation project, Cornet created New Born Fame, enabling babies to post selfies straight to social media from the comfort of their own cribs.
The selfie mobile hangs above the baby’s crib, posting snapshots or videos to social media outlets anytime the baby reaches for the gadget. Stuffed toys, such as the Facebook and Twitter icon, dangle low waiting for the baby to make his or her next move.
Daily Mail states that the mobile includes “a pair of shoes with an internal pedometer [that] tracks the baby’s kicks and posts activity charts online, while a GPS tracker logs the baby’s location when squeezed.” With the creation of Cornet’s project, babies could be posting pictures to social media before they can even say their own names.
Cute or creepy?
The debate continues. Some parents are all for the idea and some think it’s crazy. Although posting pictures of babies online sounds harmless, there is a point when the act becomes creepy and invasive. I believe we need to respect the nap time and privacy of babies and put social media to rest.
