As a business owner and mother of three, there are times in life when these two roles in my life intersect. One such intersecting point is a little something we like to call Social Media — you know, those addicting websites, like Facebook and Twitter where we share and view everything under the sun from friends, families and often complete strangers…
Well, today, I wanted to take a little time to introduce you to a perhaps less familiar name in the social sharing world: Instagram.
In this 3-part series, I am not going to be talking to you as a business owner, but as a parent!
Let me begin by sharing my family’s story…
So I’m hiking with my daughter, and she takes a picture…
“What are you doing?” I ask.
She answers, “Posting it to Instagram.”
Like most parents, I have no clue what Instagram is; I vaguely understand it has something to do with taking pictures and some cool filters. But my daughter had used the word “posting.”
I ask, “Do your friends see these pictures?”
“Sure.”
“Do they comment on these pictures?”
“Yes.”
Hmmm… the light bulb goes off. This is just like Facebook, but status updates simply have to have a photo. She says, “You should be on this,” (something she now regrets) and I download the app and explore.
Yes, for all of us parents who banned Facebook, our kids found a way around it: Instagram.
Because most parents don’t know what Instagram is or whether they should ban it, let me clue you in… My daughter is 12, and all of her friends are on Instagram (illegally). Most tweens she knows are NOT on Facebook but ARE on Instagram… perhaps this is why Facebook bought Instagram?
Next, I share 10 Things Every Parent Should Know About Instagram and My Case for Allowing Instagram as a Parent.
Addendum to this series: According to Mashable, starting January 16, 2013 Instagram’s privacy policy is changing. Their new policy states: “You agree that a business or other entity may pay us to display your username, likeness, photos (along with any associated metadata), and/or actions you take, in connection with paid or sponsored content or promotions, without any compensation to you.” This is a serious loss of privacy, do you want the picture of your little girl in a bikini used to sell some product? Instagram is claiming the rights to any photos posted on Instagram which means they can now sell your photos! Great News, Addendum to the Addendum: Instagram backs down: Privacy Settings are back and they don’t own your photos or posts! Thanks Instagram for listening to your community!
