Not sure about you, but I don’t want this to happen to my home movie

We all have funny and, more often than not, embarrassing home movies hiding someowhere in the house that we pull out every Christmas or family get-togethers.

 

But as viral videos become more and more prominent in our society, it seems these so-called home movies are being put up online for the whole world to see. And they no longer become embarrassing family memories but rather viral hits, and the more likes and shares the better.

 

While we all love a good, funny video, none of us like to think it comes at the peril of someone else, particularly children. And most of these videos are of children doing or saying something amusing or shocking.  

 

What has happened to family privacy and not feeling the need to share your entire life story online? Yes, it’s good to post photos of your recent holiday – I do it myself - but that video of your little one making an incredibly scary face doesn’t need to be put on a public platform for the world and its mother to take and share.

 

We all remember Success Kid – the picture of a young baby holding sand - who was turned into a viral meme. The original image was taken by photographer Laney Griner of her then 11-month old son in 2007. After posting it on her Flickr account and Getty Images it was turned into a meme, often paired with the phrase “I Hate Sandcastles.”

 

And while no harm was done, in fact, the photo helped bring a somewhat celebrity status to Griner and her family, which came in handy when she started a crowdfund to help her husband who needed a kidney transplant, it does make you think. 

 

While it is entirely up to you whether you let or even want your baby’s first smile picture to go viral, maybe just take a minute to consider things first.

 

At the end of the day, once that picture goes viral, it will no longer be a family treasure but rather something that will keep appearing over and over again on some social media platform.