Protecting kids’ online identities with emojis isn’t a new trend, but more and more parents are embracing it.

When you scroll through social media, it’s not uncommon to see proud parents sharing snapshots of their children’s lives. From first steps to messy birthday parties to back-to-school smiles, but lately, a different kind of post is popping up: one where the child’s face is replaced with a well-placed emoji.

These “emoji-over-face” parents are often met with confusion or criticism, accused of being overly cautious or even paranoid. But in a digital age where every post can become permanent, searchable and exploitable, perhaps they’re not just being careful – they’re being smart.

That’s the case for Lauren Flowerday, a branding strategist for authors and a first-time mum. She said she always knew that if she became a mother, she didn’t want to share her child’s face.

“It has been more of a gradual confirmation of a gut decision,” said Flowerday. “And then I had a client in 2022, an influencer with over 200K followers, who took her child’s pictures off her Instagram after a scary situation where her child was approached by a stranger, who was also a follower of their mum’s Instagram.”

She adds that there are some things she can’t control – like daycare login access and paediatrician messaging portals – but she can control showing his face and what personal information is shared by her. So, when it comes to posting pictures of her little one online, she shares photos of his tiny hands or feet, or a perfectly angled shot where just the back of his head is visible or she will put a heart emoji over his face.

“But more recently, I’ve been thinking about not sharing him through pictures at all and even not sharing his name,” added Flowerday. “I just want to make sure his identity is protected as much as possible.”

There are downsides to sharing kids’ faces online

As with anything, there are risks worth considering when it comes to sharing your child online, explains Meera Khan, PsyD, clinical director and licensed clinical psychologist.

“In this case, it may violate a child’s privacy, expose them unintentionally to malicious individuals, and introduce the presence of others into........

© HuffPost