DEAR HARRIETTE: I dislike when parents overshare about their child’s life on social media. As somebody who researches how posts get shared and how many people end up viewing them, I become uneasy to think that a child could be viewed by hundreds or thousands of people in a single day. These posts are usually harmless, but I don't think parents understand that their posts of their toddler in the bath can reach hundreds of eyes. Could I privately message the parents out of concern, or am I sticking my nose where it doesn't belong? -- Too Much Media, Cincinnati
DEAR TOO MUCH MEDIA: This is an important point, and you are right. Many loving parents who are simply doting on their children -- and even bragging a bit -- do not realize how far their photos and videos can go. This is in part because one person can easily share with another or copy and paste images to share with different people. That parent may have a small group of friends, but someone in his or her friend group could have a huge group of friends who then could have access to the images.
Should you say something? It depends on who you are telling. If you know the person and feel genuine concern that the image just posted might fall into dangerous hands, reach out in a private message to express your thoughts. It’s trickier if you don’t know someone, but even then, a private message may have impact. Imagine if you received a note from a stranger warning that the image you just posted of your beloved son or daughter might fall into the wrong hands. That would be chilling.
(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)