Sharenting and Child Privacy: Finding the Right Balance

‘Sharenting’, a mix of the words ‘sharing’ and ‘parenting’, is when parents or caregivers share personal information, images or videos of their children online, typically on social media platforms. For many families it’s an easy way to keep in touch with loved ones and celebrate milestones. However, these posts create a digital record for children before they are old enough to decide for themselves.

Children today are sometimes described as the first “generation with a digital footprint from birth.” Many will have hundreds of photos or videos of them online before they even own a device themselves. This can raise questions about ownership: who controls these images, and what happens to them in the future?

 

 

The Benefits of Sharing

There are many reasons why sharenting is popular. Sharing online can:

• Keep families connected: With relatives often living far apart, updates and photos help them feel involved in a child’s life.
• Provide support: Parenting can feel lonely. Posting online can bring reassurance, advice and encouragement from others going through similar experiences.
• Celebrate milestones: Sharing first steps, birthday  or exam results allows parents to mark special moments and share their pride.
• Create memories: A social media timeline can act as a digital scrapbook, helping families look back on key stages of childhood.

When done carefully, sharenting can be a positive way to connect with others. Many parents say that online communities make them feel less alone, especially in the early years of parenting.

 

The Risks of Sharenting

But there are also risks that parents need to think about:

• Privacy and consent: Children cannot always agree to what is shared about them. As they get older, they may feel unhappy with certain posts.
• Digital footprint: Every post builds a child’s online identity. These early records may affect how others see them later in life.
• Security risks: Details like names, locations or school uniforms can reveal too much and put children at risk.
• Embarrassment: What feels funny or cute now may be embarrassing for a teenager in the future.
• Commercial use: Some platforms use data for targeted advertising, which means children’s information may be used in ways parents never intended.

Research has shown that children value their privacy more than adults might expect. In some studies, young people reported feeling frustrated or embarrassed about how much their parents shared about them. This suggests that while parents may see posting as a way of celebrating, children may see it very differently.

 

 

Finding the Right Balance

The key is balance and enjoying the benefits of sharing while protecting children’s privacy. Here are some tips:

1. Think before posting: Imagine your child reading this post in ten years. Would they be proud, embarrassed or upset?
2. Use privacy settings: Keep accounts private and share posts only with people you trust.
3. Avoid personal details: Leave out information that reveals where your child lives, goes to school or their daily routines.
4. Choose positive posts: Share achievements or happy moments that don’t compromise dignity or safety.
5. Be a role model: Show your child how to use social media thoughtfully by doing it yourself.
6. Consider alternatives: Instead of posting a school photo, share a picture of their artwork or a photo of the cake from a birthday party. These can still celebrate the moment without revealing personal details.

Involve Children in the Process

As children get older, it becomes especially important to involve them in decisions about sharing. This might mean:

• Asking permission before posting their photo.
• Talking about why you want to share something.
• Respecting their answer if they say no.

These small steps help children develop their own understanding of privacy and boundaries. It also shows that their opinions matter, which builds trust between parents and children.

 

The Bigger Picture

Family life today is filled with moments we want to capture and share, but it’s important to pause and consider how those choices affect our children. Just as we remind them to be careful crossing the road, we should also remind ourselves to pause before posting. Rather than stopping sharing altogether, the goal should be to do it mindfully.