An egg, a red heart, a smiley face, or even a red devil — these are some of the symbols parents are using to obscure their children's faces on social media. The trend, dubbed 'posturing parenting' by journalist Sierra Tishgart, has gone viral after she criticised it as 'visually heinous' and performative.
Celebrities including Blake Lively, Orlando Bloom, Kristen Bell, and Kourtney Kardashian have been seen using emojis to cover their children's faces. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex placed pink hearts over Archie and Lilibet's faces in a Disney trip photo, while Mark Zuckerberg routinely obscures his children's faces, drawing criticism for its apparent contradiction with his defence of social media safety.
The practice has been described as sending a contradictory message: 'look at my perfect family, but don't look too closely because we care about privacy'. Critics argue that if parents truly value privacy, they should not post images of their children at all, rather than using removable emojis.
Carrie Johnson recently posted a photo of her four children with heart emojis over their faces, citing concerns about identification with Boris Johnson. However, the post's purpose has been questioned, as similar images of children's parties with all faces obscured have also drawn scepticism.
Some parents opt for less obtrusive methods, such as photographing children from behind or the side, which is seen as genuinely safer since emojis can be digitally removed. The trend has been labelled as smug and performative, yet it continues to grow among influencers and celebrities.
