How Can I Teach My Child Not to Forward Embarrassing Photos? 

Parenting Perspective 

In our modern digital world, a child may not fully grasp the lasting impact of forwarding an embarrassing or unflattering photo of someone else. What might seem to them like a harmless joke can in fact cause deep and widespread hurt, spread shame, and permanently damage trust. Teaching your child the principles of digital kindness is just as crucial as teaching them good manners in their face-to-face interactions. 

Clearly Explain the Harm it Causes 

Help your child to see the real-world consequences of their digital actions. You could explain, ‘When you share a photo that embarrasses someone, it can make them feel very small and sad. Once a photo is online, you can never get it back, and many people might see it and laugh at them. That can really hurt a person’s heart for a long time.’ This shifts their focus from their immediate intention to the potential long-term effect. 

Apply the Golden Rule to Digital Life 

Bring this abstract concept into their own world by reminding them of the golden rule. Ask them, ‘If there was an embarrassing photo of you, how would you feel if it was shared with everyone? If you would not want it shared about you, then you should not share it about someone else.’ This makes the principle personal and easy to understand. 

Provide Positive and Safe Alternatives 

If your child finds a photo funny but potentially hurtful, give them safer and kinder ways to respond. You can suggest that they: 

• Laugh about it privately with a trusted person, without ever forwarding it. 

• Simply delete the photo instead of spreading it further. 

• Choose to share a kind or positive message about that person instead. 

This equips them with constructive choices that protect everyone’s dignity. 

Prepare Them Through Practice 

You can build their moral strength and confidence through role-play. You might say, ‘Let us imagine you receive a funny but unkind photo of one of your friends. What is the right thing to do?’ Then, guide them to the correct response: ‘I should not forward it, because it might really hurt their feelings.’ This kind of rehearsal prepares them for real digital dilemmas. 

Acknowledge and Praise Their Integrity 

When your child makes the responsible choice not to share something hurtful, be sure to acknowledge their decision. You could say, ‘I am so proud of you for deleting that photo instead of forwarding it. That showed real respect and maturity.’ This recognition helps to make their good values feel stronger than peer pressure. 

By teaching empathy, setting clear principles, and praising good choices, you help your child to understand that kindness and respect are just as important online as they are in person. 

Spiritual Insight 

Islam teaches us that we have a sacred duty to guard the dignity of others and to avoid spreading anything that could cause them harm or shame. The act of forwarding an embarrassing photo goes directly against these core Islamic values, even if it is done in jest. 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Hujuraat (49), Verse 12: 

‘…And do not spy (on each other) and do not let some of you backbite against others; would one of you like to eat the meat of his mortally expired brother? Not at all – you would find it repulsive; and so seek piety from Allah (Almighty), indeed, Allah (Almighty) is the Greatest Exonerator and the Most Merciful.’ 

This powerful verse illustrates just how serious it is in the sight of Allah to expose or harm another person’s dignity. It is a reminder that protecting someone’s honour is a sacred trust. 

It is recorded in Riyadh Al Saliheen, Hadith 234, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim. He does not wrong him, nor does he abandon him, nor does he despise him. It is enough evil for a man to despise his Muslim brother.’ 

This hadith is a clear guide for our conduct. It reminds us that protecting others from all forms of harm including the digital harm of embarrassment and shame is a fundamental part of our brotherhood and our faith. 

When children learn not to forward embarrassing photos, they are practising the virtues of mercy, respect, and the protection of another person’s honour. These important lessons in digital ethics help to shape them into trustworthy individuals who spread kindness rather than harm, reflecting the noble prophetic character in the modern age.