A Generation of Blurred Faces: Reflecting on Social Media Sharing in Early Childhood

In the last decade, social media usage has skyrocketed. We are more connected than ever before, and reports suggest that we are not only using social media for connecting with people that we know but for seeking out new products and services. 

Social Media for Sharing of Information

When I began in the early childhood profession almost twenty years ago, our primary method of communicating with families was printed notes in individual information pockets that hung on the foyer wall. As the technology evolved, so did our sharing of information. We began emailing families on a regular basis, although were mindful that many families did not use email frequently, if at all. 

Now, the vast majority of families in any given service would use email and social media for daily communications, and so this is the direction that we have taken as a sector. A large number of services have their own social media accounts - predominantly on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram - and use these to provide information, news, and updates to families. What are the implications of this? Well, it is important that we are mindful of sharing information through a multitude of channels, not just social media. I, for one, do not have a Facebook account, so receiving important notices via Facebook is not a great method of communication for me. I do, however, use email, so receiving the same information in an email is perfect. 

When we enrol our families into our services, we need to take the time to ask families how they would like to receive communications from us. We also need to remember that nothing beats face-to-face, personal communication on important matters (during a pandemic we realise this is a challenge!). 

Social Media for Marketing

In addition to using social media to share information, many services are using it as a tool to market themselves. Despite the media suggesting that there is a “child care shortage”, we know that for many services, this is not the case, and that increase in service provision has meant that the “market” for attracting families is more competitive. Social media provides services with the opportunity to share what they can offer, what they value, and how they stand apart from the service down the road. 

What we share on social media should represent what we do in “real life” so that families can make an informed choice to get in touch and enrol their children with us. 

Social Media for Sharing and Connecting

Social media isn’t just for informational purposes - it can be fun. Many services share photographs of their environment, their educators, and of the children at play. And here’s where it gets messy. This is where we end up with a lot of photos where children have smiley face stickers over their faces or their faces are blurred out. I get why services do this - to protect the identity of the children in the photograph. Perfectly reasonable. But it does lead me to wonder if there might be other options. 

Consent For Social Media Sharing

While it may not be specifically outlined in the regulations, the vast majority of services would and should have a social media policy in place, outlining the consent that is required by families in order to share children’s photographs online. However, I wonder how many of those policies state that children also need to be able to give consent? Okay, I understand that the seven-month-old infant is not able to give consent, and perhaps that tells us something. Perhaps we need to wait until children are old enough to give consent to having their photographs shared online? But when is that? I would suggest that when you are able to show children where their image might be put and who might see it and have a meaningful discussion about it - they are old enough.

But what do we do in the meantime? How do we share the amazing things that happen in our service. Well, we could continue blurring out children’s faces or stickering them. Or, perhaps we could look at using close-up photographs of children’s hands hard at work. Or their feet as they navigate the climbing apparatus. 

Whatever we decide, we need to consider the impact that sharing photographs of children may have in the future. We need to remember that although we might not be naming the child in a caption, we are contributing to a digital footprint, that they may have no say in. 

Most children are delighted to have their photograph shared and will happily pose for you (even when you do not want them to!), but we need to give them some choice. 

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You can find a helpful social media content form here.

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