Newborn babies already on web
Some children born to millennial parents have an email address before a birth certificate, experts say
Becoming a parent includes a long list of to-dos: stockpiling diapers, building a crib, picking a name.
Some parents are adding a variety of online-only tasks to sweep up digital real estate under their baby’s name — before they even hold the birth certificate.
In the digital age, parents are weighing whether to snap up a domain name for their baby, post photos that family members can click through or stow for later or create a slot for their child on social media sites such as Facebook or Twitter.
Media and parenting experts say securing digital space is becoming more common as millennials become parents.
“I see it all the time,” said Yalda Uhls, a child psychologist. Uhls said many parents combine their familiarity with technology and excitement around a new baby.
A 2010 report from online security company AVG Technologies found 92 per cent of U.S. children under two have a digital footprint. A third have information and photos online within weeks of being born, the study found. A similar report from AVG in 2014 found six per cent of parents had created a social network profile for a child under two, and eight per cent made an email address for a baby or toddler, a slight increase from 2010.
Although a seemingly natural extension of posting pre-baby food or vacation snaps, parents might not think through the long-term implications. “We always caution that whenever you’re posting images, look at the settings to make sure you’re sharing it with the right people you intended to,” said Julia Wang, site director of pregnancy information website The Bump.
When his twins were born three years ago, Shereem Herndon-Brown had plenty to plan. But one thing he made time for was reserv- ing the twins’ domain names. He can’t help but think ahead to a time when his children’s online presence will be a factor in their lives.
“I think it’s very common these days that parents do it, but I do recognize that we need to be responsible with it,” said Herndon-Brown, founder of Strategic Admissions Advice, a website that offers college admissions assistance. “We will make sure there’s nothing up there that wouldn’t be something that could help them, not hinder them.”
Experts say many parents choose to reserve a domain name, perhaps adding photos or a blog. Others might nab the name but do nothing with it, holding it, for example, for a possible future portfolio. Most platforms regulate that a child needs to be at least 13 to be on social media, said Augusta Nissly, program co-ordinator for the Washington, D.C.-based Family Online Safety Insti- tute. How this affects a child later varies and is a bit unpredictable — after all, no one knows what the digital world will look like in 18 years.
Another thing many parents consider is email. Parents often set up an account to avoid the inconvenience, for their child, of having to add a jumble of numbers at the end of the email address.
Young parents, especially millennials (ages 18 to 34), are jumping on this trend. “Millennial parents are on social media, and they’re on their digital devices and smartphones all the time,” Wang said. “This is very much a part of their lifestyle.”
A 2014 BabyCenter report on millennial moms found that 79 per cent use social media at least daily. This year’s BabyCenter “State of Modern Motherhood” report said 63 per cent of respondents reported using their smartphone more since pregnancy or birth.
Most millennial moms and dads have Facebook and Instagram accounts, and they might use them more after their baby is born.
According to BabyCenter, since becoming pregnant or a mother, 24 per cent of women reported using Facebook more than before, and 33 per cent had bumped up logging onto Instagram.
“Instagram is really made for the millennial parent, because it’s just all about photo sharing,” Wang said. “You see many moms who are the power Instagram users, who love posting photos of their child and styling them.”
For sites such as Facebook or Twitter, some simply store a name. Others might use a handle to tweet humorous things from their baby’s voice.
Having a Facebook site for a baby can be excellent etiquette, Wang noted. If a parent thinks she is posting too often on her own page, she can create a page just for baby and her fans.