Some Believe the Post Your Daughter Challenge Can Lead to Ramifications
Published Jan. 14 2021, 5:04 p.m. ET
The latest Facebook trend, Post Your Daughter Challenge, calls on proud parents to share photographs of the apple of their eye.
Some have criticized the challenge because it encourages parents to post images with or without approval. Others took to social media to voice concerns about how harmful individuals might exploit the challenge. So, how was the challenge received so far? How seriously should one take the warnings?
So, what is the Post Your Daughter Challenge?
The Post Your Daughter Challenge allows parents to celebrate their kids by sharing photos of them. Some appreciate the challenge because it puts the next generation into the spotlight. However, many point towards its downsides, stating that it can yield to an uptick in online harassment and abuse.
Unlike the recent Drop Your Beautiful Daughter Challenge and the Firstborn Challenge, the Post Your Daughter Challenge comes with broader criteria. Any parent can post photographs of their daughter, regardless of age or place in the family.
Some of the entries posted thus far depict adult-age children — a few of whom have taken to Twitter to share their experiences.
"My dad called me to ask how to post on Facebook so he could participate in the post your Post Your Daughter Challenge," tweeted @tyra_mck.
"It's a Post Your Daughter Challenge every quarter on Facebook, I swear. My dad is committed to each and every one. Lmao," wrote __PettyBetty__.
Others took to Twitter to raise concerns about the nature and aims of the challenge.
"The Post Your Daughter Challenge was most likely created by a pedophile ... but y'all go ahead! Just be doing anything," tweeted @YouFunnyMike.
"I see this Post Your Daughter Challenge challenge on Facebook, and I don't like it. Too many young girls have been going missing. I make it a habit to keep pictures of my kids off the internet. I post every once in a while, typically a family picture of on Snapchat [sic]," pointed out @Stroke_MyEGO_.
In September 2020, Save the Children Philippines cautioned against the Drop Your Beautiful Daughter Challenge.
Save the Children Philippines issued a warning about the potential risks associated with the Drop Your Beautiful Daughter Challenge in September 2020. The non-profit urged parents to take into account its potential ramifications.
Much like the Post Your Daughter Challenge, the Drop Your Beautiful Daughter Challenge saw eager parents showcase their best photographs of their daughters.
"Even if the images posted are not sexual in nature and content, there is still a risk that these can be used by online predators for untoward purposes," Atty Alberto Muyot, the Chief Executive Officer of Save the Children Philippines told Rappler.
In April 2020, the International Association of Internet Hotlines estimated that reports of child sexual exploitation online increased by an average of 30 percent globally, as per NBC News. Reports sent to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children have more than doubled between March 2019 and March 2020, the outlet also reveals.
