Sharenting: the dangers of posting about children online

Sharenting:

The dangers of posting about children online

_Sharenting_ _Sharenting_ _Sharenting_

Piper Diehn

Before even taking their first steps, 92% of children living in the U.S. have already planted their first digital footprint. Pre-birth scans, first words, and the first day of school are just some of the many important events parents share of their child on social media.

With just a press of a button, parents can easily upload images and videos of their children on social media platforms. While this makes it convenient for parents to share funny or cute photos of their children online, many of these parents don't stop to think twice about sharing personal and private information about their childrens' lives with the world.

Since the summer of 2019, TikToker Jaquelyn Paul has been recording the life of her three-yearold daughter.

As Paul's account grew in popularity and accumulated over 17 million followers on TikTok alone, many viewers began to notice concerning comments on her posts. Some comments called Paul's daughter a "hottie," while others asked if the three-year-old was single.

Many parents believe that social media companies have substantial measures in place to protect minors on their platforms. However, even with features in place to protect some aspects of using social media, such as limiting comments and notifying users when an offensive comment is posted, most of these policies are unsuccessful at preventing pedophiles and criminals from finding children's pictures on social media.

Not only can posting about children on social media lead to unwanted viewers, but it can also contribute to another issue: identity theft.

Every day, criminals sift through social media posts,

Art by Piper Diehn

Parents should think twice before posting their children on social media.

looking for private or personal information that could be used for identity theft. Posting pictures of a child on their birthday, sharing their name, and revealing their age can all be used by thieves to gain information about the child.

Social media users are 30% more likely to be victims of identity theft than those who do not use these online platforms. Instead of sharing an exact location, a child's birthdate, or a school name, parents can omit this information from their public social media accounts.

Even knowing that identity theft and inappropriate comments may occur after posting their child on social media, some parents may argue that when financial resources are limited, social media platforms provide an inexpensive way for their talented child to get discovered..

Popstar Justin Bieber was first discovered on Youtube when he was 13 years old after his mom posted a video of him singing. Youtube provided an audience of billions of viewers for young Bieber, but not without great costs.

As Bieber's social media fame grew, he started to gain both fans and money. However, in his documentary series "Justin Bieber: Seasons," Bieber revealed that the instant spotlight placed on him from viral social media videos caused him to suffer from depression and drug addiction.

Parents need to carefully weigh the consequences when posting an image of their child publicly on social media. In the end, the importance of posting a cute photo or video of one's child does not outweigh the importance of protecting the safety of minors online.