Whanganui Chronicle
  • Whanganui Chronicle home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Taranaki
  • National Park
  • Whakapapa
  • Ohakune
  • Raetihi
  • Taihape
  • Marton
  • Feilding
  • Palmerston North

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • New Plymouth
  • Whanganui
  • Palmertson North
  • Levin

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Whanganui Chronicle

Editorial: Online privacy and our children

Simon Waters
Whanganui Chronicle·
29 May, 2017 07:01 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article

We welcomed a bonny wee addition to our family this week.

Mum has that many followers on Facebook she's practically a local celebrity.

So I was intrigued by her surprise decision not to post photos of her pride and joy.

She announced the birth, but added that she wished to respect her daughter's privacy. There was a photo, only partially showing baby in mum's arms.

Most parents do post photos of their children online and, for many, it's not even an issue. But should it be?

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

One study reports that by the time an average child turns five, its parents have posted 1500 images, some even starting with pregnancy scans.

Imagine what a school bully might do armed with a history of potentially humiliating growing up photos. That photo of two-year-old Johnny wearing a "I love beer and boobs" T-shirt may have several unhappy consequences in later life.

There are parents who don't post images of their children online.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Sharenters, they're dubbed, raise such arguments as the right to privacy and about security, among others with varying degrees of compulsion.

It's worth reminding ourselves that privacy, our private information, is the currency of the online world. It is what we surrender in exchange for access to news, entertainment, banking - and particularly to social media where we can stay in touch with those things and people we're interested in.

But what we share with a select group of family and friends may be used in ways we never imagined or intended. And it stays out there forever. Perhaps we have become so used to signing up for Gmail and Facebook accounts that we overlook that.

I applaud new mum in her stance to protect her daughter. But with a window to the digital world in every pocket, and the technological realities of the modern age, I imagine her battle may have only just begun.

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Whanganui Chronicle

'We’ve heard clearly': Push for inclusive, future-focused bus network

23 Sep 05:00 PM
Whanganui Chronicle

NZTA proposes lower speed limit for section of SH3 in Hāwera

23 Sep 05:00 PM
Whanganui Chronicle

More rain on way in Whanganui

23 Sep 04:00 AM

Sponsored

Poor sight leaving kids vulnerable

22 Sep 01:23 AM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

'We’ve heard clearly': Push for inclusive, future-focused bus network
Whanganui Chronicle

'We’ve heard clearly': Push for inclusive, future-focused bus network

More than 70% of respondents said the new network would improve connectivity in Whanganui.

23 Sep 05:00 PM
NZTA proposes lower speed limit for section of SH3 in Hāwera
Whanganui Chronicle

NZTA proposes lower speed limit for section of SH3 in Hāwera

23 Sep 05:00 PM
More rain on way in Whanganui
Whanganui Chronicle

More rain on way in Whanganui

23 Sep 04:00 AM


Poor sight leaving kids vulnerable
Sponsored

Poor sight leaving kids vulnerable

22 Sep 01:23 AM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Whanganui Chronicle e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Whanganui Chronicle
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP