The online exposure of children by their parents has sparked a debate

One of the most defining habits of this age of excessive exposure is the practice known as “sharenting.” This term refers to the inclination of mothers and fathers to frequently post pictures of their children, even infants, on social media platforms. This inclination is nearly irresistible. It’s only natural for parents to want to share the joys and challenges of parenthood.

Nowadays, the platform for this is no longer the traditional photo album sitting in a drawer; it’s the internet. However, the issue at hand is that most parents do not contemplate the more profound implications of sharing images of their children. As privacy researcher Luiza Jarovsky emphasized in a recent article, parents typically share these photos for their own gratification, not for the benefit of their children (who are often oblivious to the exposure). Parents, like anyone else, seek the quick rush of dopamine that comes from receiving comments, likes, shares, and compliments when they post their child’s photo. In essence, they employ their children as “bait” for online validation—a phenomenon known in Brazilian slang as “pescar likes” (fishing for likes). This is true even when it involves complete strangers whom the parents have never met. If you’re a parent and find yourself resonating with this reality, you are not alone.

A study conducted by SecurityORG in the USA revealed that 77% of parents share stories, videos, or images of their children on social media. Another study conducted by Nominet in England back in 2017 disclosed that these “sharents” post an average of 300 photos of their children each year. By the time a child reaches the age of five, approximately 1,500 photos of them are already circulating online. Sharing photos of children raises vital questions. Children belong to a different generation than their parents, and when they come of age, they may not appreciate having been exposed in such a manner. Furthermore, a significant portion of what’s posted online contributes to the training of artificial intelligence models. From an early age, children can become digitally identifiable through characteristics like the patterns in their irises. Not to mention the risks associated with privacy, exposure to unknown profiles, and the potential for malicious and unforeseen uses of these images.

In 2016, an Austrian newspaper reported a case of an 18-year-old teenager suing her parents for exposing her childhood photos online. Subsequently, the story was revealed to be false. Nevertheless, this fake news prompted an essential discussion: could children sue their parents for such conduct? Many European legal experts believe it’s possible, either due to the violation of private information or the application of personal data protection laws. In a court case in England, a High Court family judge even suggested that children might have a right to privacy even against their own parents.

Hence, it’s crucial to ask: what do children truly gain from their parents’ online exposure? The answer is usually not a lot, if anything at all. With the exception of children of celebrities whose parents aim to extend their fame and social standing to their offspring through social media, the benefits for most children are nearly non-existent. Thus, we should all think twice before exposing our children in exchange for a fleeting dose of online validation.

What’s Out – Storing children’s photos in private paper albums.

What’s In – Carelessly sharing your children’s moments online.

What’s Next – Heightened concerns about children’s privacy, including the emergence of artificial intelligence.