( CNN ) -- The ability to share images and thoughts instantly is one of the marvels of the Information Age . Most of us , thanks to Facebook , have a relationship to a social network that involves a stream of conversation ( albeit often banal : `` I 'm making chicken . ... '' Really ? ) But more than conversation , our profiles usually include photos and sometimes YouTube video sharing -- and not just ones of Charlie Sheen sounding off , but also home movies of little Annie 's ballet recital or Grant 's first ski run . Much has been publicized about how important it is for parents to monitor their kids ' use of technology , but what are the guidelines for parents of small children ? When children are not old enough to read , write , talk or press `` upload , '' is it inappropriate for us to post their photos on the Web ? As usual , I am of two minds . I love staying connected to friends , and will occasionally post photos on Facebook , but I rarely put my kids ' photos on the Web or my blog . Yet , I notice a lot of blogs seem to be nothing but family photos . Also , I am not sure why I draw a distinction , especially when Facebook has been under scrutiny about its privacy policies . Then , I wondered , what about allowing your kids to be on TV ? Or in print ? Is there a difference ? Is there an actual danger in having their images out there ? I decided to poll some parents to hear their views . A 42-year-old mother of three , who wanted to preserve her family 's privacy , not surprisingly does not even have a Facebook page . She said , `` I feel like Facebook is so voyeuristic and putting my children 's photos on there is me making a decision for them when it can affect them for the rest of their lives . I put my photos on Mobile Me and send my family the link that way . '' I asked her if she felt posting photos on Facebook was a real danger to her kids , and she said she believed , `` It could be , but to me , it is more of an ethical decision . '' Mary Kay , mother of two , has no issue having her kids ' photos on the Web . Even her personal profile photo on Facebook is a family shot . She also posts individual photos of them on her Facebook page . When I asked her if she thinks this could pose a threat to her kids , she said , `` No I do n't . Maybe I am ignorant , but I do n't worry about it . '' She also went on to say that she likes to think people are good . Then she added , `` Then again , our house did get broken into two weeks ago . '' ( She was not relating this to her Facebook practices , but instead acknowledging she was an optimist when characterizing humanity . ) She also did n't believe it was a big deal to have her kids posted on YouTube . Michael , on the other hand , father of two , is `` creeped , '' out by having his kids ' images on Facebook or the Web , yet his wife , Stephanie , does use Facebook to keep in touch with their family miles away . She said , `` As long as you use your privacy settings , and ( have ) location services shut off , I do n't have a huge problem with it . '' I wondered what I would hear from people who were high profile or had a bit of celebrity standing . I talked to mom blogger Jessica Gottlieb , who has a large Internet following . She never posts photos of her kids on the Web . She believes her `` children are entitled to make their own first impression . '' Being their friend on Facebook takes this opportunity away . She also said she feels , `` Mom blogs are Disneyland for pedophiles . '' A mid-30s father of two is shooting a reality television show about his company and his family life . ( He is not permitted to discuss specifics about the show until it airs . ) When asked how he felt about having his kids be part of a TV show , he said , `` At first we ( he and his wife ) were against it . '' He noted there are some reality TV shows in which he feels the kids are exploited ; cameras follow kids around all day and the kids are used as trophies . He feels he and his wife are making a show that realistically portrays the juggle of balancing family and work , and will shed insights on that struggle . The show he is involved in is not about the kids , so he has let go of his misgivings about it . So , some parents think it is no big deal , some feel it is dangerous . How about the experts ? What 's their take ? I spoke with Nancy McBride , national safety director for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children . She would like parents to be aware that posting their kids ' photos online does pose `` a potential risk . '' She added she does not want people to be unduly alarmed , but urges parents , `` Make sure only trusted people in their lives have access to your photos . '' In a statement on the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children 's resource guide , the advice is : `` There is no particular way to prevent your uploaded images from being copied , saved and used by other individuals online . The only way to ensure that no one is using and saving your images is to avoid uploading them to the Internet . '' I spoke with Pattie Fitzgerald , child advocate and founder of Safely Ever After , an organization in Santa Monica , California , dedicated to children 's safety . I asked about Facebook , specifically . She said , `` I have not heard of any parents with young children being stalked because they saw pictures of kids on someone 's Facebook page . '' Still , she urged caution , adding , `` It is very easy for information to wind up in the wrong hands . '' She said it is far more common `` for tweens to create a Facebook page , lie about their age , post provocative photos and profiles that are not private , tag their names and very easily become accessible . '' We all have various degrees of comfort when it comes to privacy on the Internet , as we do in the other parts of our lives . We have different lenses through which we view the world , and styles from which we parent . Some people are afraid of flying , others of terrorist attacks . Some are able to , or chose to , live without fear . My friend George , who is afraid of many things , is not afraid of flying . His theory is , if the plane goes down , it 's not his fault . But , if our responsibility as parents is to protect our kids , then we need to be conscious of the fact that the Web is a public forum . We need to remember that like innocence lost , once you post it , you can never get it back . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Lee Rose Emery .
Author : Is there an actual danger in having images of your kids online ? Comment: ` Putting my children 's photos on there is me making a decision for them '' Blogger and mother : `` Mom blogs are Disneyland for pedophiles '' Parents need to be conscious of the fact that the Web is a public forum , author says .