If you owned a 10 karat diamond necklace, would you post a picture of yourself wearing it on a dating website? A public site where people go to “shop” for their next mate. Would you share with the World Wide Web that you owned a very valuable piece of jewelry?
No? Why not?
Are you afraid it would attract the “wrong” people, people who are just after your money? Or bring thieves to your door to steal your invaluable diamond? Would you realize how silly it is to advertise to the world that you owned a very valuable thing….and you’re single. No one there to help protect your jewels.
Why then would any parent place a photo of their child on a dating profile? Aren’t our children more valuable than diamonds and gold? Aren’t they the MOST precious thing, the most valuable thing in our world?
Yet so many parents think it’s ok to place pictures with their children on dating websites. Why don’t we fear that it will bring the “wrong” people? Why don’t we guard our children from the dangers that lurk online more fiercely than we would guard a diamond?
It may seem innocent but it’s not. The same standard goes for social media. Do you know who your Facebook friends are? Do you keep track of your Instagram friends and who they are? Does your young child have unmonitored access to social media? The Internet is a buffet of young, unsupervised children just waiting for a predator to come along.
Take your child off the menu.
A Stepmother's Journey 