India, July 12 -- When Australia enacted legislation in late 2024 restricting children under 16 from accessing major social media platforms without age verification, it reflected a growing recognition that childhood, privacy and mental well-being require stronger protection in the digital age. In India, the government of Andhra Pradesh has also indicated that it is examining measures to regulate children's exposure to social media, signalling that digital safety is steadily becoming a matter of public policy rather than parental discretion alone. The rapid rise of Artificial Intelligence has made these concerns even more urgent. Cybersecurity experts warn that photographs shared innocently online can be repurposed through deepfakes, identity theft and digital manipulation. Images uploaded today may remain permanently searchable, editable and distributable, exposing children to risks they neither understand nor consent to. Against this backdrop, two parallel trends deserve attention. The first is "sharenting"-parents extensively sharing their children's lives online. The second is the growing tendency of some officials to cultivate personal visibility through social media. Together, they raise a larger question: are we gradually replacing privacy, institutional dignity and restraint with a culture of perpetual digital visibility? Having served for over three decades in public administration, I have witnessed successive waves of technological change. Digital platforms have transformed governance, improved citizen engagement and strengthened communication. Yet technology also shapes behaviour and expectations. The challenge is to embrace its benefits without allowing it to erode the values that underpin family life and public institutions. Parents naturally celebrate their children's achievements, but milestones, like school events and birthdays, once kept in family albums are now routinely posted online. The issue is not affection but digital permanence. Through this constant sharing, children acquire a permanent online identity long before they can understand privacy or provide informed consent. A similar shift is visible in public administration. Traditionally, civil servants functioned under the principle of institutional anonymity-the office mattered more than the individual. Today, however, carefully curated reels of inspections, cinematic office entries and highly edited administrative content have become increasingly common. Social media undoubtedly has legitimate uses in governance, but the concern arises when institutional communication gradually gives way to personal branding. Every civil servant has only 24 hours in a day, and time devoted to managing visibility is time unavailable for governance. This is not merely an ethical issue but an administrative one. The department of personnel and training has repeatedly clarified that government servants remain bound by the Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964, while using social media. Political neutrality, confidentiality, impartiality and the dignity of public office remain non-negotiable obligations. While follower counts may matter to politicians or influencers, the credibility of career civil servants rests on institutional integrity rather than personal popularity. Excessive digital exposure carries risks. Parents may unintentionally reveal children's routines and locations, while AI can turn ordinary photos into convincing fakes. Sharenting may encourage unhealthy comparison. Likewise, excessive official visibility can blur the line between public office and the individual. Artificial Intelligence is an invaluable tool for governance and research, but it should support human judgment, not replace originality or authenticity. Whether parents surrender children's privacy to algorithms or professionals rely uncritically on AI-generated content, the result can be the same: a gradual erosion of discretion and critical thinking. Technology will continue to evolve rapidly. Wisdom must evolve faster. Parenting and public service share a common responsibility: stewardship, protection and long-term thinking. The digital footprints we create today may shape lives for decades. Not everything meaningful needs to be public. Some memories belong within families, and some of public administration's finest achievements occur quietly, away from cameras and headlines. In an age where visibility is often mistaken for value, technology should amplify human dignity-not diminish it....