What practical steps can help children choose modest profile pictures and online avatars? 

Parenting Perspective 

A profile picture is often the first impression a child makes online. Guiding them to make thoughtful choices helps to protect their safety and encourages them to present themselves with dignity and self-respect. 

Explain Why Modesty Matters in Images 

Help your child to understand that their profile picture is their public face online. Explain that choosing a modest image is a way of protecting their privacy and showing self-respect. It is about being seen in a way that feels safe and dignified. 

Set Simple Guidelines 

Work together to create a few simple guidelines. This could include avoiding photos that show their school uniform or recognisable locations. Encourage them to choose pictures with friendly expressions and appropriate clothing that reflect your family’s values. 

Suggest Creative Alternatives 

For younger children, you can suggest that they do not use a personal photo at all. Instead, they could use a cartoon avatar, a picture of a favourite animal, or an image related to their hobby. This allows for fun self-expression while maintaining privacy. 

Model Good Choices 

Let your child see that you also choose modest and respectful profile images for your own accounts. When you apply the same standards to yourself, you show them that these values are a shared family principle, not just a rule for them. 

These steps help children build a positive online identity that they can be proud of. 

Spiritual Insight 

In Islam, the concept of modesty (haya) is a comprehensive value that guides our public and private conduct. This includes how we choose to represent ourselves visually in the digital world. 

Modesty as Protection 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah An Noor (24), Verse 30: 

‘Tell the believing men to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts…’ 

This reminds us that modesty begins with how we present ourselves to the world and how we control our gaze. Our online images are a part of that presentation. 

Self-Respect in Representation 

It is recorded in Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 4181, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘Indeed, every religion has a distinct characteristic, and the distinct characteristic of Islam is modesty (Haya’).’ 

This teaches us that modesty is a hallmark of our faith and should guide how we represent ourselves in all aspects of life, including our choice of profile pictures and online avatars.