YouTube, Etc: When All The World is Watching
One of the great recurring debates in parenthood is whether you should ever put something funny your child did on YouTube. Generally, these tempests in a teacup follow the posting of truly hysterical (or cute) videos that go viral. My dentist dominated family is especially fond of David After Dentist, and this month's guilty pleasure: a four year old doing one hell of a Kurt Russell monologue from the movie "Miracle" (I've embedded the video at the end of the post for your viewing pleasure.)
I'm not at all concerned about the young hockey fan (though watching a single film -- even "Miracle" -- enough times to memorize huge chunks of dialogue is probably overkill), nor do I think his father deserves any condemnation for putting the clip up on YouTube. Heck, it's great entertainment, and I can't imagine that the tyke will be scarred if, in a decade, he comes to realize he was, briefly, an Internet sensation.
Still, that's a bit more exposure than I'd want to see. I love sending pics and videos to grandmas and grandpas via the magic of the Web, but there is always a tradeoff. You can stick the stuff in a public corner of the Web and send the link, which is simple enough but makes your precious moment available to all. Or you can muck with the privacy settings and force your loved ones to log in to a given site to see their loved one, which includes enough extra steps to make the whole enterprise dicey. I have a private account on the photo-sharing site Flickr, for instance, in which nearly 2,000 family photos are lovingly tagged with every person's name and various details. My family has the password to view them. And they never bother.
We've talked about privacy in the Internet age before, often looking specifically about what information kids make available (an evergreen topic that the New York Times covered yesterday). But I'm not as worried about what the kids are watching as much as I about what I'm putting out there for all to see. Should you just throw everything on YouTube? Anything? And -- of course -- if you're the type to make your videos available to all, please link to your funniest home video in the comments. We're watching.
By Brian Reid |
October 9, 2009; 7:00 AM ET
| Category:
Safety
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Comments
Posted by: jezebel3 | October 9, 2009 7:24 AM
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jez isn't watching because her employer blocks YouTube, etc.
The kid didn't have to watch the movie to "memorize" the Brooks speech - it's one of the truly great pep talks; he made the words available at the press conference afterward and they've been available for almost 30 years now.
Topic? Topic? We don't need no stinking topic. :-)
In Other News: you now win the Nobel Peace Prize after 11 days in office without accomplishing anything, simply because the committee hopes to encourage you and mostly because your name isn't "George Bush."
Posted by: ArmyBrat1 | October 9, 2009 7:45 AM
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OFF TOPIC: How do you find a good obstetrician in this town? I'm not ready to reveal the pregnancy, so it makes it hard to consult my friends. My GYN doesn't do OB. We tried Georgetown, but have had issues with the hospital practice. All the message boards only talk about Reiter Hill, G-town, or practices out of town. I don't have a car so I would love a practice in DC that is metro-accessible. Any suggestions?
Posted by: kackidee | October 9, 2009 7:54 AM
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OFF TOPIC: How do you find a good obstetrician in this town? .
Posted by: kackidee | October 9, 2009 7:54 AM | Report abuse
Posted by: jezebel3 | October 9, 2009 8:03 AM
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In Other News: you now win the Nobel Peace Prize after 11 days in office without accomplishing anything, simply because the committee hopes to encourage you and mostly because your name isn't "George Bush."
Posted by: ArmyBrat1
AGREE!! Woke up and turned on my cell and my best friend sent me a text, "WTF, I woke up to the news that obama just won the Nobel Peace Prize" What a start to the day!
Posted by: sunflower571 | October 9, 2009 8:14 AM
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kackidee: Try the GW obstetrics department. I always liked the doctors I saw there. (now too far out in the burbs to go into DC for care) The office can be a little maddening in the large-practice-bureaucratic way, but if that doesn't bother you too much, it is excellent care. www.gwdocs.com is the URL for the overall physicians practice, which, as I recall, posts info about the doctors.
Also, try either Washingtonian or Washington Consumer Checkbook "Top Doctors" issues.
Posted by: library2 | October 9, 2009 8:27 AM
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I know you already know about Reiter & Hill but they delivered both my babies and they have an office on 19th street -- accessible by Farragut North -- totally worth it -- I recommend Charlie Hill but they are all great
Posted by: MomTo2Kids | October 9, 2009 8:39 AM
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Re: OBGYN--not sure if they're still in practice, but I went to Women Physicians Association Chartered OBGYN, 1140 19th St., Suite 500, as a college student. Its been awhile, but back then their number was 202-887-0660. I thought they were great and wish they could have delivered my kids. They also have an office Gathersburg, for if you bolt to the burbs...
Posted by: sjneal | October 9, 2009 9:09 AM
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Whatever you do, don't let any of those cute bubble bath pictures of your baby reach the eyes of any stranger or you just may end up facing child sex abuse charges. I'm sure it's a much worse crime to post them on an internet server, private or not.
And people wunder why there are so many overprotective, helicopter parents out there. Not only do we have to worry about criminals taking our kids, the authorities are in on it too!
Posted by: WhackyWeasel | October 9, 2009 9:09 AM
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David After Dentist is awesome. I also will always love Charlie Bit My Finger and all the college students doing spoofs. Though the greatest YouTube spoof of all is JK Divorce Entrance Dance.
Posted by: atb2 | October 9, 2009 9:12 AM
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"Though the greatest YouTube spoof of all is JK Divorce Entrance Dance. "
Okay, who thinks that's going to be on The Office in about two more seasons, given last night's wedding entrance?
Posted by: ArmyBrat1 | October 9, 2009 9:16 AM
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Don't count Pam and Jim in for a divorce yet! Haha, it was a good episode last night. Only show I make sure to watch every week.
Posted by: sunflower571 | October 9, 2009 9:59 AM
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David After Dentist was definitely one of the family's guilty pleasures, this one wasn't bad either. The dialogue child reminds me of the recent ring bearer I saw in full cuteness (http://www.shop.com/New+Ring+Bearer+Boys+Tuxedo+Tail+Suit+Tux+Set+Ivory+From+Baby+to+Teen-217594524-p+.xhtml) at a friend's wedding. So cute!
Happy shopping,
Kat
@katluvsshoes
Posted by: KatLuvsShoes | October 9, 2009 2:11 PM
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No way Jim and Pam divorce - it would be series suicide. There's a lot of material with the baby and co-manager duties, plus Michael sleeping with pam's mother, and Dwight's conquests.
Last night was hilarious!
Posted by: cheekymonkey | October 9, 2009 4:13 PM
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My daughter and I made this high-tech horror flick a year or two ago.
Killer Doll
Posted by: oxhead1 | October 13, 2009 12:12 PM
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"I have a private account on the photo-sharing site Flickr, for instance, in which nearly 2,000 family photos are lovingly tagged with every person's name and various details.
My family has the password to view them. And they never bother."
What does this tell you?
"And -- of course -- if you're the type to make your videos available to all, please link to your funniest home video in the comments. We're watching."
I'm not.