This MIT Technology Review essay opens with the author’s account of creating a digital presence for their oldest child from birth — setting up email and social media accounts in the child’s name, announcing the birth online, and sharing photos across platforms before the child could stand on their own.
The reflection frames how a child’s digital footprint can be established by parents well before the child is able to participate in those decisions, using the author’s own choices as a starting point.
Why it matters
The piece raises questions about privacy and the online identities shaped for children by their parents, a theme underscored by its title and framing around being “raised on AI.”