By Amalia Theocharidou,
At times of constant evolving and evolution, technology plays a leading role in the massive changes that are taking place in the current century, introducing one of the world’s biggest obsessions but also weapons, social media. The socials have been so empowered as to shape the people of the new generation with their appealing appearance and endless abilities. They have been introduced and one would even say, imposed, so comprehensively that it is hard for a person at any age to spend a day without interacting with the media. The new habit has changed even more traditional behaviors such as parenting, introducing a new generation called, “Digital parents”.
Digital parents are the common parents one meets while scrolling through their TikTok page or while watching a funny Instagram video. “What a perfect family”, one would think, and sadly, that’s exactly what the parents strive to achieve, exposing their children to different apps in hopes of getting compliments and attention. Seemingly “innocent” challenges, videos of morning routines, and supposed “quality time” with their children are being showcased and even broadcasted live for the eyes of millions of strangers, exposing the kids to dangers such as pedophilia.
In 2023, a new prank and a meme was introduced in the TikTok community, leading thousands of parents to rush into this with no thought. The thirty-second video shows a parent and their kid in the kitchen, cooking. The parent holds an egg and seems ready to crack it in the bowl but instead, they crack it on their child’s head. Usually, it ends with the child crying in pain as the parent laughs victoriously at their “funny” prank. The “egg prank” has been gaining more and more attention over the days, as doctors and parents have finally started to speak up over this trend and called it abuse. The humiliating trend has raised awareness over the multiple dangers it can include such as salmonella, the possibility of a child eating the raw yolk, or even head injuries. Doctor Amanda Mathers, wanting to experience the prank to make conclusions even shared it was harmful for her fully developed head, let alone for the kids.
Sociologists and adepts warn parents about the so-called “digital footprint”. The term refers to the permanent information users leave behind after every interaction and use of the internet as well as posting on social media. Many people are oblivious to the purposes and aims of the digital footprint, one being the ability to sell information for unknown matters when a user accepts the “cookies” and terms of use of an app. By exposing children to the apps, it is as if one permits to sell and even change videos and pictures of their kid. Other than the active digital footprint, which is being active on an app and newsletter, there’s also the passive footprint, when apps and websites gather information such as a user’s identity, name, origin, etc.
Parenting has been evolving in the past years as social media have been playing a major role in the outcome. With a huge amount of parents being like-obsessed, one wonders if it is worth it, to expose little kids for the sake of publicity. Taking a look at today’s dangers that have developed to a considerable amount, it is only right we wonder if we do what is right for our children.
References
- Kaspersky. (n.d.). What is a digital footprint? And how to protect it from hackers. Available here
- Ogusina, A. (2023, March 20). The Impact of Social Media on Modern Parenting: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly. Available here
- Rosenblatt, K. (2023, August 23). Parents are smashing eggs on their kid’s heads in a new TikTok prank. Doctors say they should stop. Available here
