Most parents make the post their kids on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter which includes their pictures, and videos. The Wall Street Journal first time named this habit as “sharenting” which means the practice of parents publicize the videos or pictures of their children on different social media platforms, which sometimes have major benefits when shared with closed connections, but sometimes it can be very risky both for parents and children. Due to sharenting, many parents can spend more time on social media, and they can also make distant friends especially during the pandemic situation.
A survey was conducted by SecurityORG in the US about the sharenting habits of 1,000 parents and children. This survey gave some facts that about 75% of parents shared the picture, stories, or videos of their children on social media, and more than 80% of parents used the real name of their kids. Less than 25% of parents took the permission of their children before posting anything about them on social media and about 29% of parents do not even bother to get their permission. However, 21% of parents have said that they sometimes ask permission from their kids. Around 1 in 4 of parents have put the settings of their posts on the public where everyone (even unknown) is also allowed to see the posts. 80% of parents do not even know their social media friends and they have never met face to face.
Nominet has also published the data that average parents share the pictures and videos of their children before they turn 15 years. If the data of parents are exposed online, means that majority of their children’s pictures and videos will be exposed online. The report said that the main issue is when parents do not ask for the permission of their children, and the data says that 32% of the children during the survey said that their parents still shared their photos or videos even when they did not give the permission, however, 53% of children responded that their parents did not upload their photos when the did not give the permission.
According to the survey report, there are about 22% of parents have met their all friends on social media in real life. There are many companies that gathers the data of users for personalized ads and the lack of proper settings and privacy can increase the risk of online attacks. Identity theft is also a very big problem especially in the US and about 14% of parents said that hackers stole the identity of their children. Sometimes parents share the embarrassing post their children online which can create anxiety for their children especially when their friends use these posts for mocking or trolling, as 21% of parents said their kids became the victim of cyberbullying and harassment and about 69% of that children became the victim on Snapchat.
Sharenting is not a crime and it is good sometime when parents share the information of their children with their family and loved ones, but parents must be very careful with privacy settings while sharing such posts.
A survey was conducted by SecurityORG in the US about the sharenting habits of 1,000 parents and children. This survey gave some facts that about 75% of parents shared the picture, stories, or videos of their children on social media, and more than 80% of parents used the real name of their kids. Less than 25% of parents took the permission of their children before posting anything about them on social media and about 29% of parents do not even bother to get their permission. However, 21% of parents have said that they sometimes ask permission from their kids. Around 1 in 4 of parents have put the settings of their posts on the public where everyone (even unknown) is also allowed to see the posts. 80% of parents do not even know their social media friends and they have never met face to face.
Nominet has also published the data that average parents share the pictures and videos of their children before they turn 15 years. If the data of parents are exposed online, means that majority of their children’s pictures and videos will be exposed online. The report said that the main issue is when parents do not ask for the permission of their children, and the data says that 32% of the children during the survey said that their parents still shared their photos or videos even when they did not give the permission, however, 53% of children responded that their parents did not upload their photos when the did not give the permission.
According to the survey report, there are about 22% of parents have met their all friends on social media in real life. There are many companies that gathers the data of users for personalized ads and the lack of proper settings and privacy can increase the risk of online attacks. Identity theft is also a very big problem especially in the US and about 14% of parents said that hackers stole the identity of their children. Sometimes parents share the embarrassing post their children online which can create anxiety for their children especially when their friends use these posts for mocking or trolling, as 21% of parents said their kids became the victim of cyberbullying and harassment and about 69% of that children became the victim on Snapchat.
Sharenting is not a crime and it is good sometime when parents share the information of their children with their family and loved ones, but parents must be very careful with privacy settings while sharing such posts.
Read next: 