What’s sharenting and do you do it?
Sharing your baby’s photos on social media comes with some risks all parents should consider
It’s part of everyday life now that many parents share photos of their baby across their chosen social media channels. But what is ‘sharenting’? Sharenting is simply the act of sharing parenting moments online, with one recent survey finding as many as 30 per cent of parents admitting posting a video or photo of their child every day.
So if you post a parenting picture on social media regularly, you are in fact entering into the world of ‘sharenting’.
Ask yourself these 4 questions before sharing a post about your little one on social media.
‘Would this photo be appropriate if it was of an adult?’
If it would seem embarrassing for an adult, whether you were the person seeing the photo or the person in it, then it probably shouldn’t be posted. Definitely one to think about with cute bubble bath or paddling pool photos of your little ones.
‘If my child read this, would it bother them?’
Imagine your little one could both read and understand the post. If they saw it and could it trigger a negative reaction? This is a good indication that you shouldn’t add it to social media.
‘Does it reflect the situation?’
Is it a fair representation of the situation? For example, if it’s a video of your little one having an epic tantrum, don’t label them as naughty, unreasonable or badly behaved if there’s an understandable reason for their reaction (even if it is a little OTT).
‘Are my privacy settings correct?’
If you decide to go ahead and post a picture of your child, make sure that only people you want to view it can do so. Where children are concerned, they should not be public – and it’s worth remembering that if you tag someone into the photo, their friends may well see the post too.