A social media reminder. Not everyone wants their children posted on the internet.

"You know, there are pictures of your daughter on the internet."

"There shouldn't be."

I was flipping through a few of the blogs that I read regularly.  One of them has an Instagram account block on the side.  I clicked it out of curiosity.  There was a picture of all of the children on the basketball team.

Were the parents asked permission to place the children who DON'T belong to them on the internet?  I wonder.

I've been asked.  I appreciate it.  I've also declined.

I've gone into this in a few different posts in the past.  Every now and then, I think that people need to be reminded that if the photo is not of their child, they shouldn't post without permission.

I had an individual debating my internet choices for K.  "You know, if you are on the sidewalk here during the school walkathon, that is public property and I can place a picture of your child on the internet."

"No, you may not."

"It's public property."  :add sarcastic head bobble:

"My child is not on the internet for a reason.  It is not up to you to place a photo of her on there."

Our internet opinion is that K's internet story is for her to write.  It is not for me to write for her.  I do not post her face on here because of several reasons up to and including that 1. it is my right and 2. she is adopted and we chose not to.  The internet legacy lasts forever.  That follows them to every school they go to.  That follows them to every job interview they attend.  Again, it is not for me to write what will follow K all of the days of her life.

We have to issue reminders every now and then to people at school that our children might be children of a custody dispute . . . and that we simply can't post photos unless there is a written permission to print form on file.  The school has their own and the PTA has its own.

Does my child play sports?  Yes.

Have there been team photos?  Yes.

Should people print those all over?  No.

Can they?  Sure.

Should they?  No.

Don't assume a group photo is okay.  You may have known the parents for years, but do you absolutely know what their stance is?

Not everyone is using social media.

Not everyone wants to.

Let's stop to think about respecting those who don't.

Stepping off of my soapbox now.