Blog

There are a ton of interesting ethical questions surrounding photos of families and children posted on social media, among them do kids have rights when it comes to the dissemination of their likeness to strangers…but we’ll get there.
At issue for this assignment is an article detailing a trend in which social media users post photos of families or children that are not their own as participation in a role-playing community. These role-players use the photos to build fictional lives and personalities as part of a larger fantasy collective.
It’s a terribly fascinating conversation as the children of the Facebook generation come of age (yeah, that’s you). In the before times, family pictures were traded in holiday cards and maybe on shared servers. But now, every moment of a child’s existence is memorialized for an exponential number of people via social media. My niece, who is 5 years old, has her own Instagram…and she didn’t start it and she doesn’t contribute content willingly. And don’t get me started on the parents who monetize their family, and photos of their children, in the name of creating an influencer brand.
First read: The Creepiest New Corner Of Instagram: Role-Playing With Stolen Baby Photos (https://www.fastcompany.com/3036073/the-creepiest-new-corner-of-instagram-role-playing-with-stolen-baby-photos)Parents say it’s a form of digital kidnapping. Instagram isn’t sure what to say.
Then read: Fake Profiles, Real Children (https://cyber.fsi.stanford.edu/news/fake-profiles-real-children)A Look at the Use of Stolen Child Imagery in Social Media Role-Playing Games
Among the things to consider:
What resources should the platform (i.e. Instagram) provide, if any, to protect against photo reappropriation?
Is the any different than creating memes/G

IFs from publicly posted content? Why or why not?
How do you feel about the childhood pictures of you that your family has shared?
Should children have the right to have all pictures their parents posted deleted? And with that, at what age should you have ownership fo your likeness?
Is this reappropriation just something all users of social media have to accept? Why or why not?
Do these families, who publicly posted their content, have any ethical right to demand their photos not be co-opted by role playing communities? Or is it fair game, seeing as how this is posted publicly and without legal protection (i.e. trademark or copyright)?
Should the children of influencers have any rights when it comes to their likeness? Why or why not?
What, if any, repercussions should there be for people who “repurpose” the photos of others?
What do you think of these role-playing activities that attempt to co-opt the social media content of others?
What about the Right-to-be-Forgotten law? Should this apply?
Is this “creepy”? Thoughts?
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
There are two parts to each discussion (with specific deadlines):
Part 1, you will post your original post, 200 words (15 points)
DUE by 11:59 p.m. Friday, May 27
Part 2, you will comment on at least two classmates’ responses, 30 words each response (5 points)
DUE by 11:59 p.m. Sunday, May 29
Your response shouldn’t just be “That’s really cool.” You need to comment about something they mentioned in their post, as if you were chatting in person with them.
IMPORTANT: When responding to a classmate, please mention their name at the beginning: “Hi Max…”
Posts that are late will receive -2 points (out of 20 points) up until one week. After one week, the grade is a zero.