So, it’s that time of year again when exasperated (and downright exhausted) parents wave their little darlings back off to school for another year.
If your existence is a predominantly child-free one, you may expect to pass through this period relatively unaware of this significant development in little Charlie’s (your second best friend from primary school’s third cousins) life. However, if you are anything like the billions of social media users across the globe, then you are undoubtedly sadly mistaken, because somewhere in social media’s unwritten rule book, it seems that ‘first day back at school pics’ are deemed obligatory. It’s even gone as far as videos of said child’s wave at the gates with audible sniffles and hiccuping from parents that just can’t believe their little darling has grown up so quickly.
Personally, I try to steer clear of what I suspect has become a bugbear for many unwitting social media users. But it does beg the question: where is the line when it comes to sharing our lives and, more importantly, that of our children on the internet, and when does the sharing of our personal lives begin to invade that of our ‘friends’? Of course, you may suggest that the ‘remove friend’ and ‘unfollow’ options are provided for precisely this reason, but in reality, I suspect that these options are a last resort for many, who, instead, will put up with annoying social media antics with nothing more than an eye-roll in protest. Yes- that will really show them!