Pause before you post pictures of your children online

You may have fabulous footage of your children over the holidays but does it need to be shared with the whole world?

Psychologist, Dr Malie Coyne says: 'Parents act out of innocence rather than malice as they love their children and have good intentions, but the online world has changed faster than our instincts, so it’s important to be aware that what might feel funny or harmless, could turn into a permanent digital scar — so be careful.' File picture

We all know the importance of being careful when posting pictures of children online, but it can be difficult to resist sharing a cute photo of a new baby, a proud family moment or a funny collage of children up to mischief during a birthday party.

But the latest advert from the Data Protection Commission — Pause Before You Post — is aimed at getting people to stop and think. The simple, but cleverly executed campaign depicting strangers making comments to a little girl, is hard hitting as they seem to know everything about the child, who, along with her parents, has no idea who they are.