using your children as a profile pic?

I dont hate it but I dont feel like Im talking to a real human when it happens. Every time I see someone with no picture of themselves I think they lack on confidence because they think they are ugly or they are not happy with the way they look. I thought Photoshop softwares were made for that but it seems like they dont like to use them. lol

Me thinks that you are totally wrong. Desire for privacy doesn't equal lack of confidence or unhappiness about personal looks.

But he's so cute...and he looks so much like me...

People don't lose their sense of self after becoming parents. It's called PRIDE. Yes, I am proud to be a mother....I'm also proud to be a nerd/gamer/bookworm/poet. I KNOW WHO I AM! :P

Rather surprised by the heat this has garnered.

My avatar pic is of my kids, several years ago, because:
- they are one of my reasons for getting healthy
- the picture makes me smile every time I see it
- I didn't consider anyone else's opinion of it before I chose it as my avatar (except the boys who said it was ok to use it)

But if its the reason that you don't want to 'talk' to me on MFP, then that's just fine.

I dont hate it but I dont feel like Im talking to a real human when it happens. Every time I see someone with no picture of themselves I think they lack on confidence because they think they are ugly or they are not happy with the way they look. I thought Photoshop softwares were made for that but it seems like they dont like to use them. lol

or perhaps they don't take online forums seriously enough to care about stuff like this.... Because I don't. It's just a calorie counting website and the forums are entertainment (although I do try to help people on their "journey" by providing information that I think might help them). I like myself and how I look, but there are other ways to express yourself through an avatar than just putting a picture of yourself up. And there are many things in life that mean a whole lot more to me than what I look like. I agree that if someone's *only* reason for not putting a pic of themselves in their avatar.... i.e. they really want to but are put off because they think they're ugly, then yes that person needs to do a lot of work on their self confidence (ditto people who feel that they can't put a pic of themselves up without photoshopping it extensively)....... but there are plenty of other reasons why people might want to put something other than themselves up as their avatar that have nothing whatsoever to do with self confidence.

I'm on your side! I ESPECIALLY don't feel you should have your children displayed all over MFP. There are a lot of creeps in the world and I don't feel like letting them have access to my kids pictures. Also, it is true that they are my kids but they didn't give me permission to plaster their faces on public sites. I wouldn't appreciate someone taking my pics and posting them

I'm always curious about the "creeps" part - what do people think is going to happen? What is so terrible that the "creeps" are going to do?

I have zero issues posting photos of my children on the internet. 1. I do so with their permission and 2. I've literally never, ever used their real names online - even my very closest online friends only know them for their nicknames.

So many strong opinions about something that has zero impact on your (general people in this thread) life. What photos I choose to post have no bearing on your life. The level of security via the internet I've chosen with regards to my kids safety is exactly none of your business.

I seriously cannot believe the level of self righteous judgement going on. I wish people put this much energy into food-poor people in our country.

Clearly I've upset many people with my avatar being an antlered bird sitting on a bacon branch daydreaming of a cupcake.

Who the eff cares?!

If you're sitting on MFP and becoming agitated because of someone else's choice of photo, I feel sorry for you.

I love creative and eccentric avatars. :drinker: Does your avatar have a name? Apparently mine's called Wilma and was so named by the curators of the Neandertal museum in Neandertal, Germany. She's a forensic reconstruction of a woman who lived and died approx 50,000 years ago.

I enjoy the diversity of pictures that people use - it's part of the fun. My picture has my cargo trike in it, which I think is awesome and good exercise. However, one of my boys' arms is visible. Clearly he is now in danger from internet arm perverts. Or something.
Time to chillax, everyone!

your trike is truly awesome :drinker:

I just think this is a pointless discussion, who cares about what picture anyone prefers as their profile, its their personal account. If it truly bothers you, simply delete, block, unfriend whatever the case may be. We should be worrying about other meaningful things like focusing on our physique and maximizing our full potential everyday. That is all.

Clearly I've upset many people with my avatar being an antlered bird sitting on a bacon branch daydreaming of a cupcake.

Who the eff cares?!

If you're sitting on MFP and becoming agitated because of someone else's choice of photo, I feel sorry for you.

I love creative and eccentric avatars. :drinker: Does your avatar have a name? Apparently mine's called Wilma and was so named by the curators of the Neandertal museum in Neandertal, Germany. She's a forensic reconstruction of a woman who lived and died approx 50,000 years ago.

Ha! Nice! Wilma rocks! :drinker:

Nope, mine doesn't have a name. I don't even remember where on the internet I saw it, but as soon as I did, it became my MFP avatar. I never took a step back and thought, "Now what would my friends and peers on MFP think of this particular illustration?"

It annoys me too and I was thinking of it a couple days ago when I noticed everyone uses their kids as their facebook banner, but I realized I have my cat and it's probably just as bad. My cat is cute though and not everyone's kids are cute. I do think people tend to lose their identities to their kids and maybe that's why it bothers me.

Also I just kind of like being anonymous and mysterious so I use my cat, it's not like I'm particularly proud of her I didn't make her