The other day I was poking around the backend of my YouTube account and came to a stunning realization. There were a lot of personal videos of my kids I had uploaded well over 10 years ago. There is nothing wrong with the videos, but what didn’t hit me until just then was – why am I letting the whole internet still see them?
YouTube (and social media) is in a much different place than when it first came online in the early 2000s. Every parent with a fancy, new Smartphone was uploading hours and hours of all the cute things their kids were doing. But now in 2025, those kids are in their teens or older. Guess what? They don’t want people seeing those videos anymore.
My youngest recently mentioned to me that his friends had found the videos of him as a baby. He wasn’t embarrassed or mad, but I know he wasn’t thrilled.
As I went through my YouTube account and unlisted each video that featured my boys, it got me thinking, what else should I be cleaning up for the sake of my kid’s privacy? I mean, I have had a parenting blog and associated Instagram account since they were very little.
So I put some more thought into it.
Cleaning up your social media history to respect your child’s privacy is an important step in today’s digital age, especially as the content you posted years ago may no longer align with your values or your child’s consent.
Here’s a deep dive into why this is necessary, examples of how others have approached it, and a step-by-step guide to help you get started.
Why Clean Up Your Social Media?
Respecting Your Child’s Privacy: As children grow older, they may not appreciate having their childhood moments publicly shared without their consent. Posts could affect their self-image or lead to awkward situations later in life. It’s certainly something people of my age didn’t have to worry about growing up.
Preventing Identity Theft: Oversharing personal details like names, birthdays, or locations can make children vulnerable to identity theft or online predators.
Modeling Digital Responsibility: By cleaning up your own social media, you set an example for your children about the importance of managing their digital footprint. To be honest, I believe the teens of today have an excellent handle on managing their public digital footprint. They don’t post anything. Now, what’s lurking in private spaces, I have no idea.
Examples of Why Parents Do This
Some parents have revisited years of posts to remove embarrassing or overly personal content, opting instead to archive memories privately.
Others have adopted the “holiday card-or-less” rule, sharing only minimal information about their children online.
I admit that my sharing of content that includes my kids has decreased, mostly because they pointed it out to me as I wrote about recently. I feel I am pretty good at not sharing anything overly embarrassing, but that is my opinion and once you have teens, you know you have to start hearing their opinions as well.
Archiving is a great way to keep all that memorable content while earning mad respect from the younger generation.
Step-by-Step Guide to Cleaning Up Your Social Media
1. Take Inventory of Your Online Presence
- Search Yourself: Start by Googling your name and usernames to identify old accounts and posts that may still be public.
- List Platforms: Make a list of all social media platforms you’ve used (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, YouTube).
2. Review and Delete or Archive Content
- Go Through Posts: Review old posts, photos, and videos. Look for:
- Content that reveals personal details about your child (e.g., full name, birthday, location).
- Embarrassing or overly personal moments that could impact their future.
- Bonus – if there is something iffy – show your kid and get a thumbs up or down.
- Use Platform Tools:
- On Facebook: Use the “Activity Log” to manage posts in bulk (delete or archive).
- On Instagram: Archive posts to hide them from public view without deleting them.
- On X: Use tools like TweetDelete to remove old tweets in bulk.
3. Update Privacy Settings
- Adjust privacy settings on all platforms so that only trusted friends and family can see your content.
- For older platforms like YouTube, make videos private or unlisted if they feature your children.
4. Revoke Third-Party Access
- Check for apps connected to your accounts that might have access to your data. Revoke permissions for those you no longer use or trust.
5. Clean Up Tags and Connections
- Untag yourself from photos where you don’t want to be associated.
- Review your followers and friends list—remove anyone you don’t trust or who doesn’t add value to your online presence.
6. Use Tools for Efficiency
- Consider using browser extensions like Social Book Post Manager for bulk deletions on Facebook.
- Apps like Jumbo can help clean up multiple platforms while saving important data locally.
7. Think About Future Posts
- Adopt a rule of asking yourself if a post is something you’d want your child—or their future employer—to see. Again see my post – When Your Teen Says Stop Posting Photos of Me.
- Avoid oversharing personal details about your child moving forward. Or in my case, a bad teen hair day.
Tips for Parents
- Have Conversations About Consent: As children grow older, involve them in decisions about what gets shared online. This teaches them the value of digital consent. We refer to it as the “no bums” rule.
- Archive Memories Instead of Deleting Them: Platforms like Facebook and Instagram allow you to archive posts so they remain accessible only to you but are hidden from others.
- Regular Audits: Make it a habit to review your social media every year to ensure it aligns with your current values and priorities.
Time to Clean Up Your Social Media History
As a parent, cleaning up your social media history is not just about decluttering—it’s about protecting your child’s privacy and setting a positive example for responsible digital behavior. By following these steps, you can ensure that what remains online reflects both respect for your child’s autonomy and the values you want to uphold as a parent.
Don’t worry, all bets are off when it comes to making that photo reel for their wedding in the future. Boys, you have been warned.
