Why Did Melissa Williams-Brown Post Pictures of a Sick Child on Social Media?

"It's been a long day. I'd forgotten what it was like to sit next to Nate in a quiet hospital after midnight. Emergency surgery went well. SCH is the best. And, Nate is one brave guy"

Image Credit: Instagram of Melissa Williams-Brown (@melissabrowninoz)

Should Parents Post Pictures of Their Sick Child on Social Media?

Instagram, Twitter and Facebook are places for narcissists and neurotics to show off. But, posting photos of a sick kid crosses a line from entertaining into exploitative: kids just want comfort, and here we have a mother taking their picture just so other adults can “like” them. What is Melissa Williams-Brown achieving by sharing Nate Brown's physical pain and aches?

Is she seeking compassion or comparing who has had it worse? Shouldn’t that moment be spent caring for Nathaniel Christopher Brown in lieu of snapping photos and adding detailed captions?

Most parents feel bad for kids who have their entire lives public on social media sites, especially at bad times in their lives like being sick or injured. Maybe giving a status update if they're in the hospital is appropriate, but posting pictures is unnecessary and an invasion of their privacy. There is a difference choosing to share it within a personal message or a closed group you know well versus hundreds of your “closest” friends. And, depending on the context, it could most often be viewed for attention or pity towards the caregiver.

As parents, it's our job to protect our kids, not take advantage of them. Maybe giving a status update if they're in the hospital is appropriate, but posting pictures is unnecessary and an invasion of their privacy plus in some cases that could violate HIPPA laws. As parents, it's our job to protect our kids, not take advantage of them.

Ask yourself this question: Would you want someone posting pictures of you while you're feeling lousy? Probably not. Apply that standard when you consider what to post and what not to.

Melissa Williams-Brown used forged consent forms and posed as an employer conducting background checks to illegally obtain protected educational records and other personal data from the National Student Clearinghouse