Privacy is a huge concern for many people, especially as new technologies are developed, social media use continues to expand, and it feels like everyone and anyone is collecting our data. Many online communities have similar rules for behavior, including that people shouldn’t reveal each other’s personal details. Another important rule that you’ll often find is that you cannot post photos of kids. That’s common sense.
One teenage babysitter recently went viral online for all the wrong reasons. The British sitter posted a photo of the child she was taking care of in one of her Instagram stories. However, she hadn’t gotten permission from the kid’s parents. She then filmed herself (without showing her face), trying to convince the mad dad that she’d done nothing wrong. Scroll down for the full story and to see how the internet reacted to what happened. Bored Panda got in touch with redditor u/mindyour, one of the people who helped the video go viral, to get their take on the situation. You'll find our interview with them as you read on.
Most people would agree that people shouldn't post photos of kids on social media without asking the parents for permission
Image credits: ShotPot (not the actual image)
One teenage babysitter posted a pic of the child she was looking after and then started filming once the father found out. Here's how that conversation went
Image credits: mindyour
Father: You shouldn't be posting photographs of my children on Instagram.
Babysitter: She looks really cute in it.
Father: She does look really cute but why are you putting it [in] public? Anyone could be looking at her.
Babysitter: No one's going to think about - No. Your address isn't on there, your phone number isn't on there, it's just her face.
Father: It's my child.
Babysitter: It will go in 24 hours anyway. Well, why are you even following me?
Father: Well, I follow loads of people, but that's not the point.
Babysitter: Well, you don't follow your babysitter. That's weird.
Father: Well, I do follow my babysitter and it's just as well I am because...
Babysitter: It's one photo.
Father: We're not going to pay you until you take that photo off so...
Babysitter: Well, I'll just stay here until you pay me then.
Father: You're going to have to give me that phone now.
Babysitter: No, I'm not giving you my phone.
Father: There's all sorts of freaks online.
Babysitter: Loads of my friends do it that babysit.
Image credits: mindyour
Image credits: mindyour
Father: Well they shouldn't be doing it.
Babysitter: Why? It's literally just a photo.
Father: Look, the north is full of p*dos. Stop posting...
Babysitter: Well, yeah, you being one. Why are you following me? I'm a 16-year-old.
Image credits: mindyour
Father: I'm not like that. So give me that phone.
Babysitter: Why have you got Instagram in the first place? How old are you?
Father: You shouldn't be even babysitting. You haven't got a DBS.
Babysitter: You hired me.
Father: Are you joking?
Babysitter: I'm 16 years old. I'm still in school.
Father: So you could be doing anything.
Babysitter: Well, you know me. I'm not like that.
Father: I'm shocked. We're going to have to tell everyone that you're a bad babysitter. I can't believe I'm hearing this.
Babysitter: Well, I'll tell everyone that you follow me on Instagram. A 16-year-old girl. How is that going to work out for you?
Father: I don't know what to say I'm shocked for words. All I want you to do is - will you please just take that photograph off Instagram and we can move on from this? You can get your money. You can go home. Isabelle can be safe.
Babysitter: Is that it then? Just take the photo down and that's it? You give me my money and I go?
Father: Yeah. I mean, I don't know what else to say
Babysitter: Yeah, that's fine then
Father: Right.
Image credits: Timur Weber (not the actual image)
You can watch the full video, where the sitter tries to deflect the blame, right here
"Many are able to put themselves in the situation of the parents"
Bored Panda was interested to get redditor u/mindyour's thoughts on the entire situation with the teen babysitter. They revealed that they first saw the video on their TikTok feed, as shared by the extremely popular It’s Gone Viral account.
"I came across it on TikTok and could not believe what I was hearing," they told Bored Panda. "I thought r/facepalm would be the right place to share to see what others thought."
We wanted to get the redditor's opinion about why the video made such a massive splash on the internet. "I have friends with kids that absolutely did not want their kids' pictures on social media," they told us.
"Many are able to put themselves in the situation of the parents, and there are those that have a distaste for certain social media platforms," they shared why the clip resonated with so many folks all around the net.
They added that some people were also likely outraged because the teenage babysitter made some incredibly serious accusations about the kid's dad because he followed her on Instagram.
"It's hard to say what her reasoning is," redditor u/mindyour told Bored Panda why the sitter was so reluctant to take responsibility for her actions.
"It could be down to the fact that she's young and of the social media age. Like she said, her friends do it, so she may not be able to understand it because to her it's just a picture that will disappear in 24 hours."
Image credits: cottonbro studio (not the actual image)
The clip made a huge splash on the internet
Most stories have two sides, with a bunch of nuances sprinkled on top. However, in this case, things are more or less clear: you should not, under any circumstances, post a photo of someone else’s kid on social media before checking in with the parents. If the parents don’t like photos of their children being shared online, their word is final. This is common sense.
Alas! Common sense isn’t all that common… as the 16-year-old babysitter’s example showed. In her video, she tries to turn the entire situation around, as though she were a victim. She argues that she wasn’t in the wrong and tries to blame the kid’s dad that he follows her on Instagram in the first place. She does everything in her power to avoid taking responsibility.
She then threatens to tell everyone that the dad follows her Instagram account if he reveals that she’s a “bad babysitter.” Finally, the teen sitter agrees to remove the photo, so long as she gets paid for taking care of the child.
The story blew up on the internet, getting over 56.2k upvotes on the r/facepalm subreddit in the span of just two days. The clip also got over 619.7k views on the It's Gone Viral TikTok account. What's more, the video also ended up on the popular online platform 9GAG and was covered by some media outlets. The absolute majority of internet users were appalled by the babysitter’s entitled and irresponsible behavior.
Image credits: Ketut Subiyanto (not the actual image)
Instagram allows people to fill out a contact form if someone's posted their child's photo or video without permission
According to Instagram’s Help Center, the platform removes posts that don’t follow its Terms of Use. You can fill out this contact form to report an account that has shared a photo or video of your child without your permission, in order to get it removed from the social media platform.
You don’t need to have an Instagram account to do so. However, you will need to provide a link to the photo or video.
“Keep in mind that people own the rights to all images they've taken and shared with Instagram. If there's no violation of our Community Guidelines or Terms, we can’t help you directly unless required to do so by law,” the Instagram team notes.
Practically every parent wants someone competent and responsible to take care of their kids while they’re out of the house. It’s only natural—you want your munchkins to be safe, entertained, fed, and put to bed without drama. And though there are plenty of wonderful nannies out there, the reality is that some babysitters fall very short of the mark—just like in any other job.
Image credits: Pixabay (not the actual image)
It's essential that you hire a responsible sitter whom you can trust
It’s not always clear whether or not you can trust a babysitter before inviting them to their house. Especially if they’ve been recommended by someone you know. Often, practice reveals the truth. However, there are some red flags that you might spot before hiring them for the night.
Verywell Family notes that one red flag is when a babysitter refrains from engaging in conversion. “They should ask about the kids, wish you a good time, and converse long enough to make you feel comfortable. Be concerned if the sitter doesn't do the same with the kids either; that bodes a major disconnect that could signal a strong lack of communication all-around.”
Meanwhile, a good sitter will show that they’ve understood all of the instructions the parents have shared by either taking notes or asking for a written copy. They’ll indicate that they care about their job—as well as the kids. A total lack of professional pride won’t inspire much confidence.
Some other signs that you might not be able to rely on your sitter include consistently being late, inviting people over to the house without express permission first, or being chronically exhausted. It’s human to be tired. But a sitter who can barely keep their eyes open won’t provide much quality care.
Parents ought to look at how their kids react to the sitter as well. If they’re constantly unhappy when the sitter shows up or demonstrate big shifts in how they behave, it might be best to look for another professional.
Last but not least, it’s best to listen to your instincts. If your gut is telling you to find a different sitter because something feels off during the interview, don’t ignore that feeling. There’s no such thing as a ‘perfect’ sitter, but it doesn’t mean that they’re all ‘the same.’ Far from it. Any decent sitter worth their salt knows not to post kids’ photos online without asking the parents first.
Image credits: Kampus Production (not the actual image)
The babysitter got slammed in the internet comments for her irresponsible behavior
