A Kid Noone Wants

Apparently the internet brings adoptive children straight into your living room. I appreciate the aspect of convenience, but I find it slightly disturbing to be shopping for children as though they were a pair of shoes or a used DVD. Perhaps I am thinking the wrong way.

Unfortunately, there are many unwanted children born each day. While adoption is often “sold” as a great alternative to parenting, many of these children do not leave the child welfare system until they have aged out.

If I had lovingly placed my child for adoption and later found my child’s face plastered on the internet with an advertisement under the picture, I would be devastated. The children are listed like job postings with dates to track updates. How would you feel to see your child’s picture posted for months or even years?!

Please don’t misunderstand me, I realize the intentions are very good. Anything that helps the child to be adopted… I just wonder if this affects the dignity of the children involved. Please let me know what you think.

2 Comments

karen

August 28, 2009 at 12:20 am

I think it's part of the progression of the use of technology in our society. It may seem odd to us but unfortunately, we live in a world of convenience. Folks look to the internet as their source for everything. Unfortunately, that means children as well.

I find it disturbing myself, but is it any better than visiting an orphanage and picking one out like a dog at the pound? I don't know.

I guess I agree with you, but I also understand why the internet is being used as a medium to get the word out.

In a world where sex slaves are sold on the internet at increasingly abominable rates, I would be leery of "ordering" a child to adopt by this means.

I'm babbling. Sorry.

jenimama1

September 4, 2009 at 1:49 am

I was on an adoption website last year and I got the same mixed feelings you did and was asking the same questions. I was on a site where you can see the individual children and sort them by age, gender, race, disability, etc. It was open to the public. Kind of creepy. My thought is that the technology is fine for families who have been screened and are in the active adoption process, but there should be secure access to the website only for these families and not the general public. A group photo of the kids without any personal information would be fine for the general public and people who are at the beginning stages of considering adoption. What can you tell about a person anyway from looking at a picture? It doesn't seem necessary.

karen

August 28, 2009 at 12:20 am

I think it's part of the progression of the use of technology in our society. It may seem odd to us but unfortunately, we live in a world of convenience. Folks look to the internet as their source for everything. Unfortunately, that means children as well.

I find it disturbing myself, but is it any better than visiting an orphanage and picking one out like a dog at the pound? I don't know.

I guess I agree with you, but I also understand why the internet is being used as a medium to get the word out.

In a world where sex slaves are sold on the internet at increasingly abominable rates, I would be leery of "ordering" a child to adopt by this means.

I'm babbling. Sorry.
jenimama1

September 4, 2009 at 1:49 am

I was on an adoption website last year and I got the same mixed feelings you did and was asking the same questions. I was on a site where you can see the individual children and sort them by age, gender, race, disability, etc. It was open to the public. Kind of creepy. My thought is that the technology is fine for families who have been screened and are in the active adoption process, but there should be secure access to the website only for these families and not the general public. A group photo of the kids without any personal information would be fine for the general public and people who are at the beginning stages of considering adoption. What can you tell about a person anyway from looking at a picture? It doesn't seem necessary.