As tempting as it may be to snap that shot of a cute child on your travels, you just shouldn't, even if you don't plan to share it anywhere.
Here's why.
I am often a bit surprised when I see parents taking pictures of someone else's child when they travel, even though they would be outraged if someone did that to their own child.
Imagine this:
You're at a park playing with your children and a tourist starts to pose with them and takes a selfie.
How would you feel?
I am 100% sure you would be appalled, shocked and angry.
The majority of us would also yell at the person, ask them to stop and maybe even get physical to make sure they delete the photo they took. We may even call the police, if an officer was nearby.
Yet, the same person can travel to another country in Africa or Asia, and take photos of someone else's child in the street, without asking for consent or considering for a second how they would feel if the roles were reversed, or questioning why they even feel like doing this is acceptable or right.
When asked why they do it, they say "He/she is so cute", or "He/she wanted a photo with me" or "He/she asked for it".
The same person would never consider doing that in the West.
This kind of cognitive dissonance is often a reflection of the colonialist mentality many of us from the West still have.
White children are precious, children of color are props.
And I have been there.
I have traveled extensively to countries that are economically less developed than my own, or where children are very present in public life.
They will follow you, call you and want to come touch you and take photos with you because they don't see a lot of foreigners.
20 years ago, I also took such photos.
I would have my Blackberry out, taking photos of something else back when cameras and smartphones were rare, and groups of local children wanted to see themselves in a photo because they had no access to this, so we took photos together.
I haven't done this in years, but until recently, I had also not deleted the ones I had shared online in albums from 15+ yeas ago that were buried in my facebook profile.
Back then, it never occured to me to question if taking such photos was right, but I know I wouldn't have done it in Europe.
Social media has evolved a lot since then, and parents even question if they should post content of their own children on their socials, now imagine posting content of someone else's child.
I have no children, but the colonialist mentality is so ingrained in most of us from the West, that we feel "entitled" to do this in countries that are less economically developed, yet we would never do it in our own or in one of similar economic development.
This might be totally subconscious, but it's still a double standard that we often fail to recognise.
I, too, had those double standards when I was young and naive and access to cameras and the world wide web was a new thing (and speeds too low to post too many photos). But it's time now that we all know better.
Other things to consider before taking photos of a child:
Posting a photo of a child online is putting that child's safety at risk. Now, child trafficking networks know where to find them and how they look. It's an extreme case, but not at all impossible.
Children in the global south are not our props and it does not make us look cool to post photos with them, especially if you are volunteering in another country and post those photos to show how much you care, like many celebrities have done. When I see a profile on a dating up of a guy with black children or riding an elephant or petting a tiger, I know he is not the kind of person I will have a lot in common with.
Photography in private spaces may be legally regulated. While most countries do not restrict photography in the street as it is assumed that there is no expectation of privacy, some spaces that may feel public like a shopping mall, are not and there may be rules around what you can and cannot photograph. This Wiki page has details on photography laws around the world. But again, the fact that is is legal does not mean you should do it.
And lastly, just because the parent gave you permission to take the photo, or even encouraged you to, or you paid them to take it, still doesn't make it right.
Can someone who may not fully understand the ramifications of their child's photo being posted online, forever, give true consent?
I hope this week's reflection can plant a seed.
What are your thoughts on this matter? Please share by replying to this email.
2026 / 2027 Calendar of tours
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Our 2026 calendar is almost fully live with very few exceptions π₯³
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