Concerns About Videotaping Your Children
October 4, 2009 by Mary Emma Allen
Filed under Parenting
In today’s electronic society, taking photos and videotaping is almost second nature. Placing these photos and tapes on Facebook, You Tube and similar social media sites has become very common.
What do you think when others do this without your permission? They don’t do it for evil reasons. Simply, it’s become very common for people to share by posting photos of family gatherings, school events, sports games and more on their social media page or You Tube.
Image: sxc.hu
Schools have a policy of requiring a signed release (by parents) for photos and tapes of youngsters to be taken, especially for publication in newspapers, the school web site or elsewhere. However, many parents and visitors to a school apparently don’t understand this, as witnessed by the controversy occurring in a New Jersey school whereby a visitor took a video of the school children singing (so easy to do with even cell phones nowadays) and posted it.
I’m amazed at some of the photos and videos I see of children on Internet sites, many posted by parents. Without giving it a second thought, they place their youngsters for the world to view in various activities and poses.
Families attending a gathering, a wedding, a birthday party have no idea that the fun photos of them and their activities will be posted on someone’s Facebook or My Space page without premission, Or that a performance at school, with their child appearing, will appear online.
I come from a jounalism world where signed releases or permissions are required. I don’t like the idea that anyone, anywhere, who happens to take my photo, singly or in a group, will post it online without my knowledge. I like it even less when it’s my children and grandchildren they’re involving.
What are your thoughts on this?
People shouldn’t be able to post pictures of you without permission. I believe this for many reasons. One you could have a stalker and just don’t want it posted, or you just don’t like the non-flattering photos posted. Children especially are vunerable with so many sick people out there. I was wondering however, where do you find permission releases for video’s and for posted pictures for business use?
Not surprisingly, the internet can have every kind of parenting resource imaginable. You have the option of checking out sites that will provide you with a comprehensive parenting resource section or one that will provide you with specific parenting resource information.