'Calm down, Karen': Parent defends her toddler from teens filming videos in public

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Mar 22, 2023 3:00 PM EDT

Privacy is important to this mom, but some teens called her out for her decision. So she headed to r/AmItheA**hole to ask the internet: was she really being a Karen?

In today's modern world of constant social media access, there's not much privacy to be found. People love to create videos of themselves dancing and participating in trends, while others simply record their daily lives every day. Some folks are so ingrained in the social media world that they forget they can't just go around recording people without permission. If you're filming a dance with your friends out in the open, and you record strangers in the background, that's kind of unavoidable. But this mom had to defend her child from being recorded intentionally by a group of teens. These teens probably meant no harm, but they still have a lot of learning to do!

Scroll through this parent's tale, then check out these memes for world-weary workers. 

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  • 01
    Footwear - "One teen, who was dancing along, said to the other, 'Oh my god record this!!""
    via Yan Berthemy
  • 02
    Font - r/AmItheA u/TheBrontosaurus . Posted by Partas pant [1] AITA for tell teens to stop filming?
    via u/TheBrontosaurus
  • 03
    Font - Yesterday some teens were filming TikTok's and didn't see me pull my car up next to theirs. They were embarrassed when the saw me but then my 2yo started dancing to their music. They thought this was very cute and put on baby shark. My kid was dancing her heart out and one teen, who was dancing along, said to the other "oh my god record this!!" As soon as I saw her phone pointing towards my child I stepped between them and scolded her saying it's never ok to film someone else's kids and i
    via u/TheBrontosaurus
  • 04
    Font - They then told me to "calm down Karen" I think I was absolutely in the right to prevent them from filming my kid but I worry that admonishing them wasn't my place and I should have just walked away. I get that it was a public space with no expectation of privacy but I always try to keep other kids (or at least their faces/identifiable features) out of pictures I take of my child.
    via u/TheBrontosaurus
  • 05
    Font - reggiesnap Certified Proctologist [24] NTA, though I am confused how you're all in vehicles but then you were also standing between everyone? 7 Reply Share TheBrontosaurus OP Partabant [1] My daughter and I were out of the car the teens were in their car.
    via u/reggiesnap
  • 06
    Font - Legally Blonde_258 Enthusiast [7] A: NTA. Regardless of the legalities, it's hugely problematic to turn other people into content without their/their parents' consent. The is especially true when it comes to minors. I suspect that this is something that will be legislated at some point because it has become completely egregious.
    via u/Legally_Blonde_258
  • 07
    Font - Electronic Treat_400 ΝΤΑ Everyone all up in arms about "it's legal". It's f g creepy is what it is. I don't care if you have the legal right to video tape in public. I draw the line at taking videos of children. You people haven't come across the type of people that actually don't give a s about the law. If people did this in my hometown, the teenagers would have probably gotten their ass kicked and not just yelled at.
    via u/Electronic_Treat_400
  • 08
    Font - Izanuela_Anazazi Exactly my thoughts. I don't give af if its legal. And I don't even have children myself, but no one would film a child which is with me without asking first.
    via u/Izanuela_Anazazi
  • 09
    Font - Noladixon Legal has very little to do with what is right or wrong. Life is not a court of law.
    via u/Noladixon
  • 10
    Font - Aficionado [19] yep, its legal. just like its also legal to stand between their camera and your kid. seems some folks are missing that part. A:
    via r/AmItheA**hole
  • 11
    Rectangle - naranghim A Aficionado [13] In some states it's actually illegal at the state level or local level. So, everyone whose saying "It's legal" could wind up getting bit in the a because they are in an area where it is illegal to film a child in public without their parent's permission.
    via u/naranghim
  • 12
    Font - Tulipsarered I can't imagine being an adult child of someone who posted tons of pictures(and videos) of them as a child on social media. I'm really lucky that I was a child before cellphones, the internet and social media. There are very few pictures of me online. And I like it that way.
    via u/Tulipsarered
  • 13
    Font - NullSpace Gaming Parta pant [3] NTA but then again it doesn't matter. You have every right to prevent people from exploiting your child for views. No need to explain yourself to teens. They'll understand when they're older
    via u/NullSpaceGaming
  • 14
    Font - SCVerde I think it's good to calmly explain things to teens. I want them to learn and not be adult a S. I have to live in society with them.
    via u/SCVerde
  • 15
    Font - Wicked AngelLove Colo-rectal Surgeon [36] ΝΤΑ But if you worry you were too harsh, if this happens again you can still step in between and say "Please don't film my child especially without permission. It's not cool" just keep it chill and if they push back then get aggressive. We unfortunately live in a society where filming is the thing to do so some kids are oblivious to things like asking permission to film others when it's so common place now. But you weren't wrong.
    via u/WickedAngelLove
  • 16
    Font - romanceauthorz A: NTA, and those teens are rude. You are correct that it is never okay. I'm sorry they called you a Karen, which would make me bristle, too. But respecting your child's privacy is more important than their snit. e Aficionado [15]
    via u/romanceauthorz
  • 17
    Font - No-Recognition3929 Colo-rectal Surgeon [44] NTA. When you are out in public, you have to expect some amount of lack of privacy. I don't know the legality and honestly, I don't think it matters - my opinion is common etiquette is that you should ask before filming or taking a picture of someone at all, especially if it is a child. Whether or not they are legally in the wrong, I still think they are the AHs here.
    via u/No-Recognition3929
  • 18
    Font - SnoopyRoo5 Extremely sick and tired of the "Let's put everything we see on the internet" generation.
    via u/SnoopyR005
  • 19
    Font - blondewhiteicedmocha NTA. The culture of TikTok has made people think it's okay to record and post people online without their consent, and it's really not.
    via u/blondewhiteicedmocha

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