Protecting the digital identity of my unborn child
My husband and I were discussing how we planned to announce the birth of our first child, little Asher Kroboth (due any day now, I might add). We were talking through posting on my blog versus telling the good news via a Facebook status. (We decided to publish to my blog and push to Facebook via our newest iPhone app, in case you were wondering.)
I jokingly said that we needed to be careful what we said and how we said it because we could upset a teenage Asher in the future. He will probably hate the music videos we've made and posted online; I'm sure they will be most embarrassing to a growing pre-teen boy. Then it hit us - this is a big deal. We are responsible for our unborn son's digital identity, for now anyway.
Instead of being laughed off, my husband said, "Wow, you're right." As if growing a child and giving birth were not important enough, we are also responsible for our unborn child's digital identity. We could ruin his personal brand before he even mutters his first word. This is a hefty bit of responsibility, wouldn't you say?
As it stands now, our kid can go back in time on our blog. He can read all about our engagement, wedding and honeymoon (and surely get grossed out). He can see his first ultrasound photos or read the long list of posts from me complaining about the side effects of being pregnant.
And he can see us announce his name. I'd argue that this is the point at which we begin building his brand, introducing his official digital identity. Pretty soon (fingers crossed) we'll post photos of him in the hospital and first months at home. And as my posts are passed among family or shared on other sites, there also goes Asher's identity. We will most certainly secure a personal URL for him, and the best email accounts.
His young life will be very public.And none of it will go anywhere. Once it's on the web, it's on the web forever. How will he feel about that one day? Where will the future of the web head and is it anywhere our son will even want to be? Are we ok to make that call on his behalf? Now? Before he's even born? Oh the pressure!
Just call me Super Mom. Building personal brands and digital identities, one kid at a time. Hopefully, we do it right.
Comments
Most folks don't even think about their own digital identity, much less that of their children. Kudos to you and Rusty for planning ahead. You are certainly doing it right.
This is so true Kira. I bought the domain names of both of my children so that some school bully wouldn't do it first. They are 9 and 4 and I take it very seriously. Welcome to the world of the Digital Mom.
you dropped this in your fourth paragraph, last sentance, "being"
pregnancy can do strange things to memory etc. ;)
we worried about the same thing with the birth of our child - ultimately, we came to the hypothesis that our generational views on privacy will be the source of many a teenager's future eye rolls. to them i suppose walking down the street IRL or on #fb will be much the same. we'll still attend their soccer games and peer into their virtual worlds.
* call me old fashioned, i used a fake name and email address to protect my identity.
Thank you for the post. Now, I will be on guard before I post something about my grandchildren.
what if i have children who want your help in Uganda
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