What Parents Need to Know About Photo-Obsessed Kids

Are children becoming photo obsessed or are the parents the real problem? According to a recent article on loop21.com, kids are not only getting progressively better at taking and posting pictures, they are also becoming too fixated on their appearance.

Instead of the good old days when parents took “in the moment” photos, the need to see oneself as pretty and perfect has parents and children retaking instead of saving. As Facebook posting and Instagram’s popularity becomes more widespread, older children and teens can take photo obsession to unhealthy levels if their parents aren’t keeping it in check. So, what can parents do to circumvent this fascination?

Kimberly Friedmutter gives her perspective on why photo obsession should be a concern and what parents need to understand:

“The frequency and availability of photo opportunities desensitizes children to their looks because the ‘delete’ button is so convenient that the subject can afford the ‘easy come, easy go’ attitude. What they’re forgetting is the permanence of the Internet once photos are posted. Future job opportunities are not on young minds as they involve themselves with a night out. It’s damaging—not in the way most would imagine with self-esteem, but in societal esteem. How do others view the photos you take or post to the Internet? Everyone has a phone but, more importantly, everyone has an opinion.”