Facebook may play a vital part in the social lives of teenagers and adults — but social networking sites for babies are now sweeping the Internet.
Four UK-based online enthusiasts have just launched 'BabyLolly', describing the venture as "part online interactive babybook, part social network for babies."
"We started developing BabyLolly about a year ago out of frustration about the limited availability of tools that help parents share the joy of their baby," director and co-founder Colleen Geske told ninemsn.
"Many of our relatives and friends used email to share photos of their babies … We thought that there must be a better way to capture and share those baby moments."
The site joins other emerging US-based networks such as TotSpot and BabySpot, which encourage parents and their family and friends to upload photos, videos and day-to-day details to celebrate their baby's "precious memories with family and friends".
TotSpot was launched last June after a trial involving 1700 members saw a staggering 20,000 photos uploaded through the site.
BabySpot received 60,000 unique visitors within weeks of being launched last September.
All three sites claim that data entered on a profile is safe and secure, with privacy settings preventing anyone from seeing a child’s age unless they have been invited to do so.
BabySpot co-founder James Rivera said users can delete their profile at any time and, unlike Facebook, the company does not store any of the pictures or information uploaded by users.
"Those parents that do not feel comfortable in having their child's details online should not … But they should remember the digital age is here and they should not be scared as the security is their hands," Mr Rivera told ninemsn.
Sydney mother Lauren Thompson uploads photos of her son on Facebook, but said she would be reluctant to use sites that were focused on children only.
"Posting my son's info on a site specifically for babies seems like putting a flashing light on him for all the unsavoury types on the Internet," she said.
"Sharing things like their height and first words may sound harmless, [but] I'd be worried that someone with an unhealthy interest in my two-year-old child might use that info to gain access to him.
"I'd never reveal information on the net such as where he does swimming lessons or which school he attends."
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