You are not your child.

One of my greatest pet peeves since the advent of Facebook has been people using their child's photo as their profile picture. Yes, your child may be the cutest of the cute and I understand that you want to share that with the world, BUT YOU ARE NOT YOUR CHILD, so don't post his or her picture as if it were your own. Who's profile is this anyway?

A profile image is the featured picture of the subject of an online profile. It is representative of who you are. This is your Facebook page.

You may feel that you are better represented by a piece of art, a photo of a flower, a sketch that you have made or a grey square. And - some will think I'm being inconsistent by stating this - I'm basically fine with that. Although I don't feel it's as quality as a photo of you, you are making a connection to something and saying "that is a reflection of who I am."

Additionally, I have absolutely no problem with you posting a photo of you and your child. That makes sense. There you are showing off your adorably cute child and making a connection between the two of you. You are basically stating, "This relationship reflects the best of who I am. I love this."

But posting a picture solely of your child makes me think that you have actually lost your sense of identity. You do realize that that child does not represent you, right? In fact, a photo of your child tells me nothing of who you are. To me, you are saying, "I am my child. I have lost myself in this. I am no longer an individual."

If you want to put a picture of someone up there, be proud and make it of you. Stop hiding behind your kid. I don't care if you're as fugly as Dolly Parton's last facelift. I don't care if you've gained as much weight as Jabba the Hutt. You are my friend and I want to see you. I am friends with you first. Your child is an added bonus.

SOURCE: Image: photostock / FreeDigitalPhotos.net