21st century parenting is firmly grounded in technology. From iPads keeping kids entertained on flights, to apps that allow parents to track their children’s feeds, development, and more, technology has changed what it means to be a parent. But social media has added another dimension. The average child now has a digital footprint that often begins when their parents post an ultrasound photo, inviting friends and family to share in a joyous event through regular “sharenting.” 

However, some parents—especially those that adopted social media at an early age—have fallen into the trap of posting about their children a little too frequently, a condition called ‘oversharenting’. Like anything to do with social media, this comes with several risks. For this reason, it is important for parents to understand how to safely post about their kids.

Sharenting refers to the practice of parents sharing photos of their children online. Usually, images are shared on social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook, and capture quotidian moments in children’s lives, such as first steps, trips to the zoo, school performances, and holidays, for example. But as much as parents may want to share their children’s achievements and lives with friends and family, sharing photos online can be problematic.

There are, of course, some positives about sharenting. For example, parents often build communities online through social media platforms. This can be a great resource for parenting and gives first-time parents a sense of camaraderie during a time when they may feel like they have no idea what they are doing. Similarly, for parents who live far away from other family members and friends, sharing photos of their kids online offers a way to involve these important people in their children’s lives. However, when parents share images that contain personal details about the child, or details that could be embarrassing for the children as they become older, ‘oversharenting’ can become a problem.

As social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram have become more pervasive in society, sharenting has become very normalized. In fact, statistics show that parents are more than willing to share images and videos of their children online. As such, more than 75% of parents have shared their children’s images on social media, and 33% have never asked their children for permission before sharing photos online.

In light of the sharenting dangers outlined here, parents may well be wondering whether any online photo sharing of their children is safe. Of course, this is a very personal choice. Some parents choose not to post any images of their children at all. But for those who wish to continue sharing photos online with family, there are numerous ways to improve the security of these photos and minimize the risks of ‘oversharenting’. Here are some things to remember:

Check privacy settings: Ensure that all posts can only be seen by family and close friends and remove resharing permissions. Allowing strangers and acquaintances to see children’s photos can be a sharenting danger.Have discussions about privacy with friends and family: Be vocal about protecting children’s privacy and set boundaries about how they can engage with posts.

Turn off metadata and geotagging: Not using these functions can minimize other people’s ability to track children through online photo sharing.

Do not include identifiable information: Whether it is in the photo itself or in the captions, be sure not to share details that would allow others to find and track children. This can include things like names, birthdates, schools, places they regularly go to, or even family homes.

Avoid using real names: Avoid giving people online access to children’s full names. Instead, use nicknames or descriptive phrases for kids.

Do not post potentially embarrassing images: Whether they are photos of the children in the bath or dressed in funny outfits, these images may cause problems for the child as they grow up.

Use secure platforms: Instead of sharing photos online, use more secure platforms to show pictures of children to friends and family. For example, WhatsApp protects photos with end-to-end encryption and gives users the option to send photos that can only be opened once.

Avoid showing the child’s face: To avoid ‘oversharenting’, some parents cover their children’s faces before posting their photos to social media. This can be done by using the “stickers” built into apps, like Instagram, to cover their faces or using editing tools to blur or block out their features.