Is It Appropriate to Upload Videos of My Children to the Internet?

Question:

I am coming to you with a question that has considerably engaged me. I am the mother to six children. As of late I have noticed that there is a large increase in the number of videos that parents upload of their children’s lives. Is there no issue with this? How do we know that this is for the child’s benefit? Perhaps it will embarrass them or cause them suffering in the future? What is your opinion?

Answer

Hello,

Yashar Koach for the sensitivity and responsibility. This truly is a great question.

The intentions of these parents are generally positive. They want to recount a good story about their progeny or to elicit smiles for something ‘silly’ that their children have done. Their assumption is that this does not impact the present, and it will not cause harm in the future, because there is no place for embarrassment for things we do as little children. These assumptions are not necessarily flawed.

However, of course it could be otherwise. To err on the side of caution, it is most appropriate to abstain from uploading these videos. Beyond this, one must be aware that videos of children online can be taken advantage of and exploited. There is risk associated with this and not just discomfort. Therefore, it seems that it would be best to abstain from this due to the many doubts involved in this action.

All the best

Rabbi Yuval Cherlow, Head of the Tzohar Ethics Center

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