Just a harmless wefie? Your parent or child might not think so

Sharing photos of your family members online without asking their permission might seem harmless, but there are various ways that it can backfire. Photo: dpa

An unflattering snap of you eating dinner. A silly-faced selfie next to your sleeping daughter.

Sure, you didn’t ask their permission, but think of all the “likes” this would get on Instagram!

Family photos and social media are a dangerous mixture that can backfire in various ways.

What looks fun to you can be embarrassing and unpleasant for your child.

So how do families decide which photos can be shared online?

The best thing to do is make an agreement on who can post what and when.

If you notice that your children are sharing photos of you without asking, it’s best to talk to them about it, says Kristin Langer, a media awareness couch based in Germany.

Your goal should be to find out what prompted your child to post the pictures and to make them more aware of how things might go wrong and how it can make others uncomfortable.

You might ask something like “How would it be for you if photos of yourself were to end up online without your approval?”

If conflicts arise, parents and children can still make an arrangement.

“Here, both sides can say what kinds of photos of themselves they are happy seeing online, ” says Langer.

Parents and children should not only think about how they post photos they have taken, but also how they forward family photos they get in messenger apps like WhatsApp. – dpa