Article for rendering.

Charity warns against uploading photos of children

A child protection charity in the UK is urging parents to ask their children for permission before uploading photos and videos of them on social media. This follows a study by Ofcom, a communications watchdog, revealing that parents are divided on whether it is right to post photos of their children online. The practice of parents uploading photos and videos of their kids is termed "sharenting". This is a combination of the words "share" and "parenting". Ofcom said the biggest reason for parents not sharing photos of their kids is to protect the privacy of under-18s. The NSPCC said: "Each time a photo or video is uploaded, it creates a digital footprint of a child which can follow them into adult life."

The website theatlantic.com highlighted how prevalent sharenting is in the USA. It said: "In the United States, the vast majority of 2-year-olds…already have an online presence. More than 80 per cent of babies younger than that are already on social media." The website said there is a conflict between a parent's pride in their children and his or her desire to share photos of them, and the potential dangers of sharing photos of their kids. Parents often include personal information about their children along with the photos they upload. This could put kids at risk of identity theft and digital kidnapping. There is also the danger of parents publishing real-time information about their children's whereabouts.

  

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if a-h below are true (T) or false (F).

1. A charity said parents should ask children's permission to post photos.    T / F
2. The article says parents are split on the idea of posting kids' photos.     T / F
3. "Sharenting" comes from the words "shark" and "resenting".     T / F
4. Digital footprints can follow children into their adult life.     T / F
5. Most 2-year-olds in the USA have an online presence.     T / F
6. Fewer than 80% of US babies are already on social media.     T / F
7. The article says parents never include personal details about children.   T / F
8. Posting the real-time whereabouts of kids is not dangerous.     T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

1. urging
2. permission
3. divided
4. termed
5. combination
6. prevalent
7. vast
8. conflict
9. potential
10. whereabouts

1. split
2. possible
3. mix
4. widespread
5. consent
6. location
7. called
8. encouraging
9. clash
10. huge

3. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)

1. ask their children for
2. a communications
3. uploading photos and videos of their kids
4. protect the privacy
5. a digital
6. the vast majority of
7. have an
8. the potential dangers of
9. put kids at risk of identity
10. information about their children's

1. is termed "sharenting"
2. sharing photos
3. footprint
4. theft
5. watchdog
6. whereabouts
7. permission
8. online presence
9. 2-year-olds
10. of under-18s

Comprehension questions

1. What did a charity urge parents to ask children for?
2. What kind of watchdog is Ofcom?
3. Which two words is the term 'sharenting' from?
4. What did Ofcom say must be protected?
5. What kind of footprint is left when a photo is uploaded?
6. How many 2-year-olds in the USA have an online presence?
7. How many babies younger than two are on social media?
8. What parental feeling is in conflict with wanting people to see their kids?
9. What danger was mentioned besides identity theft?
10. What real-time information do some parents upload about children?

11. Multiple choice quiz

12.  1) What did a charity urge parents to ask children for?
a) their passwords
b) pocket money
c) to go out
d) a permission to upload photos

13.  2) What kind of watchdog is Ofcom?
a) a ticking watchdog
b) a communications watchdog
c) a barking one
d) a timely one

14.  3) Which two words is the term 'sharenting' from?
a) 'shard' and ''cementing'
b) 'shark' and 'relenting'
c) 'share' and 'parenting'
d) 'sharp' and 'renting'

15.  4) What did Ofcom say must be protected?
a) the privacy of under-18s
b) the Internet
c) combinations
d) photos

16.  5) What kind of footprint is left when a photo is uploaded?
a) a muddy footprint
b) a carbon footprint
c) a digital footprint
d) an ecological footprint

17.  6) How many 2-year-olds in the USA have an online presence?
a) a considerable minority
b) the vast majority
c) a sizeable minority
d) a tiny majority

18.  7) How many babies younger than two are on social media?
a) just fewer than 80%
b) around 80%
c) exactly 80%
d) over 80%

19.  8) What parental feeling is in conflict with wanting people to see their kids?
a) pride
b) anger
c) envy
d) confusion

20.  9) What danger was mentioned besides identity theft?
a) cyber-bullying
b) phishing
c) digital kidnapping
d) electrocution

21.  10) What real-time information do some parents upload about children?
a) phone numbers
b) their whereabouts
c) their lunch

Put the words in the right order

1. children   their   ask   to   parents   Urging   permission   for   .
2. watchdog   a   Ofcom,   communications  follows   by   a   This   study  .
3. it   to   divided   post   on   photos   is   Parents  right   are   whether   .
4. parents   for   reason   biggest   The   photos   sharing   not   .
5. which  child  a  of  footprint   digital  a  creates  It  them  follow   can   .
6. have   year-   of  The   an   2-  vast   online   olds  majority  presence  .
7. on   Eighty   of   already   media   cent   are   social   per   babies   .
8. of   kids   sharing   The   photos   potential   of   dangers   their   .
9. their   often  include   personal  information  about  Parents   children   .
10. of   put   identity   kids   theft   at   This   risk   could   .