Sunday, July 8, 2012

Motherhood Online

Ms. Deborah Kolben, in her timely article "The Perils of Facebook Parenting," (The Forward July 8, 2012) poses a question and initiates a discussion which has challenged me recently as well.  She writes that there "are now an estimated five million moms who blog...Add to this the countless non-blogging mothers who share updates and concerns on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter..."

Raphaela, like many other children of proud 21st century techno-parents, has a long-running online presence, but where does blogging and the like become what Kolben calls "oversharing"?  When does the constant stream of mostly silly information begin to violate the rights not only of our family, but also our basic right to privacy and quiet of the mind?

I wonder whether Raphaela will appreciate having her life documented on the world wide web, or whether it will cause resentment as she gets older.  I will certainly respect her wishes should she express her displeasure, as she defines herself more and more as her own person.

[NB Kolben is the editor of a Jewish parenting website called Kveller.com, which includes multiple blogs as well as practical information.]

1 comment:

Rachel Selby said...

I don't write about DD's health, developmental issues, toilet training, or anything else that I feel is too personal. However, she might fell the stuff I did write about was too personal, who knows. Looking at my blog though, it seems to be much more about me and my experience of motherhood than it is about her.