Digital Photos

What do I need to know about digital photos?

Technology has changed the way young people take and share photos. In fact, according to Ofcom, more than half of 12-15 year olds in the UK have access to a digital camera.

With digital cameras and camera phones, it’s never been easier for them to publish their pictures on the internet and pass them on to friends and family via email and text. Some have even become “citizen journalists” by posting footage of news events online.

Lots of mobiles have built-in cameras and picture messaging making it simple to take a photo and send it to other people in their address book. Plus, websites like Flickr give them the chance to tag and share photos and social networking services, like Bebo, Facebook and MySpace, include photo galleries.

Photography is a great way to encourage your child’s creativity but you should also point out some of the potential risks of publishing and sharing photos on the internet or via mobiles.

  • Images they post online could be accessed by anyone, copied, used inappropriately and could stay on the internet forever
  • Digital photos and videos can be passed on very easily. For example, some young people take part in sexting, where they send intimate or naked images to someone they know via their mobile or online. These images can end up in the wrong hands
  • Some young people will be the perpetrators or victims of cyberbullying or “happy slapping”, where a photo is taken of someone while they’re being harassed or attacked

You need to make sure your child knows about these potential consequences when they’re taking or sharing photos.

In addition, when it comes to photos that other people have taken, your children could access inappropriate or illegal content, such as child abuse images, online. It’s vital that you take action to help minimise these risks.

What can I do about digital photos?

  • Decide whether you’re happy for your child to have a camera on their phone before you buy them a new mobile
  • If they have a digital camera or camera phone, talk to them about what’s appropriate in terms of the kinds of images they take and where they take them
  • Recommend that they ask people’s permission before taking photos of them
  • Explain why they should think before they publish photos of themselves or their friends on the internet or circulate them via their mobile. Ask your child things like:
    • Would you want strangers to see your photos?
    • Does your photo give away any personal information (eg your address or the name of your school?)
    • Could a picture you’ve taken and posted online upset someone else?
  • If your child likes to share their photos on their social networking website, advise them to set their profile to private so that only their friends can see and comment on their pictures
  • Talk to them about the privacy risks of ‘tagging’ photos (ie naming the person in the photo). On Facebook, for example, facial recognition software enables users to tag photos automatically
  • If your son or daughter likes to publish their photos on photo-sharing websites like Flickr, recommend that they use a different screen name to their real name or email address
  • If you have teenage children, talk to them about the risks of posting provocative photos on the internet and sexting, as they could be seen by anyone
  • Encourage your child to come to you if they come across any images on the internet that upset them – if you think the images could be harmful

Where can I go for more information and support about digital photos?

  • Visit the Facebook blog and Facebook’s Safety Center for more information about photo tagging on Facebook
  • The photo-sharing website Flickr has a useful safety guide
  • If you’re in the UK, visit the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) website for advice about what to do if you think your child has come across illegal images, such as child abuse images, on the internet

How old are your kids?

What you need to know to get started

  • 5-7 years old

    Technology is part of your child's life before they start primary school. They're probably using the computer, the internet and interactive TV for fun - watching programmes on the CBeebies channel and website or taking part in the Club Penguin chat rooms...but they still need adult guidance and supervision.

    Read more

  • 8-11 years old

    If you have 8-11 year old children, your house is probably full of technology - PlayStation, Nintendo, iPod...the list goes on. In fact, research shows that 8-11 year olds in the UK have an average of four media devices in their bedroom.

    This is a crucial age for young people to embrace new technologies and develop their ICT skills both at home and at school...and it's a crucial time for you to take control when they start exploring the digital world as well as the real world.

    Read more

  • 12-14 years old

    They're at secondary school and growing up fast. It's a time of change and their digital world might seem as important as the real world to them. They might spend their evenings on Bebo, Facebook or MySpace ; watching videos on YouTube and uploading their own for others to watch; or doing research for their homework.

    You want to encourage their technology and social skills, of course, so it's useful to understand what they're doing with technology and to get involved with it.

    Read more

  • 15+ years old

    Once your children are teenagers, it might be tempting to think that they're tech-savvy and dealing with everything the virtual world can throw at them. You probably watch in awe as they switch from chatting with friends on Facebook to updating their Twitter profile; playing against someone on the other side of the world on their games console to downloading music on their mobile.

    It's all great fun but, as they get older, the things you need to help them to cope with in their digital world are ever more challenging. Far from leaving them to it, you really need to keep communicating with them.

    Read more

How much do you know?

The average Facebook user has 130 friends on their profile

Take our test to give you an idea about how well you understand internet safety and new technologies. It’s quick and easy and will help you decide which parts of the website to visit.

Take the test