I do not envy the kids of today. Social media hadn’t really become a thing until I was in college, something I am entirely grateful for. This next generation of children will be among the first who have been on the Internet since they were fetuses. Remember when we were kids, and we always afraid of our moms showing off our embarrassing baby pictures to visitors? Well, these kids’ baby pictures are plastered all over social media, so all their parents’ friends can see them. And don’t even get me started on mommy bloggers. They have an even bigger audience, so more of the public can witness their kids’ first bath. But some of those kids are getting a little older now, and far more aware of what’s on the Internet.
Mommy Blogger Chrissie Tate recently wrote an editorial about how her fourth-grade daughter recently discovered her mother’s blog and her baby photos online. Naturally, Tate’s her daughter was rather distressed and asked her mother to take down the photos and to stop writing about her. Tate refused, saying that “it wasn’t possible.”
While Tate has said that she’s going to keep her daughter in the loop about what she’s writing about and allow her to make photo decisions, she will not stop writing about her and will not take down any old essays or photos.
I read the full essay, and Tate sounds like the epitome of the obnoxious mommy blogger that everyone else despises. She’s clearly doing this for her own personal gain and doesn’t respect her daughter’s privacy. This was the pitiful excuse she gave for her refusal to stop writing about her child:
“Promising not to write about her anymore would mean shutting down a vital part of myself, which isn’t necessarily good for me or her.”
Okay, Chrissie, you want to write about motherhood? That’s perfectly fine. Nothing wrong with that. But you know what would be the best place for your writing? A fucking journal. And no, I don’t mean an online journal, I mean a pen and paper journal that you keep in the privacy in your bedroom. You can get all the writing you want out of your system while NOT violating your child’s autonomy. And all those cute baby pictures? It’s called a photo album (and no, I don’t mean a digital album to show off to all your friends and followers). Make a scrapbook and keep your child’s photos on your bookshelf.
I’m sorry, but obviously, Chrissie Tate’s priority is herself. It’s not about her wanting to write about motherhood; it’s the fact that Tate wants a public audience to fawn over her. Her daughter’s feelings are irrelevant to her; she’s only there to give her mother material for her blog.
Unfortunately, Tate’s daughter, like many social media children are probably bound for some serious therapy in just a few years.
did laugh at loud with my morning coffee while reading this, article is 100% on point :)