In the past you’d proudly sported your baby or toddler at parties or barbecues. Nowadays, parents often take on social media to share their child’s joy with millions of other people mostly strangers all over the world. It’s getting out of control. Based on the Pew Research Center 82 percent of parents have admitted to sharing photos of their children via social media. In fact, the average five-year-old in the UK currently has more than 1,500 images of them posted online. This is the size of sharenting in modern times.
What exactly is sharing and what are the reasons behind this behaviour? Sharenting is a term used to describes the practice of sharing excessive details about children. Of course, joy and pride motivate the sharing habits of parents in a variety of ways. For example, they could share photos of their children’s birthdays or even a video of their child singing. But peer pressure and competitive nature could cause some parents to beat those who are more social. Yes, the cash made from a viral posting or from creating an influencer with a small size might be appealing, too.
Whatever the cause whatever the reason, the results are exactly the same. But they’re not always what you would think. It is possible that you are triggering the fire of anger and stress for your child when you share your adorable picture or humorous video with a plethora of strangers. Sharing can have serious repercussions. Therefore, taking immediate steps to limit its unpredictable consequences is vital to ensure your child’s safety.
Before we go over the most important tips to stay clear of sharing it is important to take an hour reflecting on the dangers of sharing. Does sharing really cause as much harm as it is portrayed in the media appear? Does it really put your child in danger? Let’s look a bit deeper.
The dangers of sharing
Your experience with social media probably began as a teenager or an adult. However, even through the ten odd years of interactions on the internet you’ve probably seen and heard about your fair share from online dangers, ranging from financial fraud and identity theft to harassment and stalking.
When you share with your children, they start to get the process of exposing themselves to digital and online data trails in a very early age. When they turn adults, they’ll have accumulated a substantial data footprint. Every bit of information you give your child today will contribute to this. Someday they will be shaped by their public image, and could even impact their careers or relationships. When it is, it may not be possible to make changes the course of events, reverse it, or remove the online footprint you’ve helped to create.
When you share photos on the internet with a family member or a small group of friends, the possibility of reaching a wider public will always be. On the web there is only just one button to post, deform or misuse the content. In addition, what you perceive as cute or funny could be seen differently by someone with malicious intention. The web is full of cyberbullies predators, predators, and criminals. What you post online could put your child at risk. Keep in mind that what you say now could be haunting your kids for years and they could regret it throughout their lives.
Reducing the dangers of sharing
The internet is a tangled environment. There’s no way to predict how complex it will be when your children grow to be. As parents, you must be cautious and make sure you provide an online environment that is safe for your children to play in.
It is important to educate yourself in order to make educated choices.
Being aware of the risks associated with excessive sharing could be the very first thing you can do towards safeguarding your children from the dangers of excessive sharing on social media. The variety of types of content including videos, photos and even pictures could pose a threat to the safety of your child. As parents, it’s essential to know how this can occur.
Forums and websites specifically designed for parents are great ways to stay informed with the latest developments, threats, news, not to forget tips and suggestions.
Establish guidelines that will most benefit your family.
Every parent’s situation is different. Based on the age of your child and their ambitions, you should create guidelines to determine your practices for sharing content. Most of the time, the best option is not to share any content whatsoever. If your children are older enough, allow them to be able to have their say. Despite the sloppy sharing of data methods that are popular among older generations, children today are looking at their data footprint with care. So, be respectful of their privacy wishes.
Be aware of how others might interpret your post and the potential implications for your child in the future.
Opt to use old-fashioned methods of “sharing”
Sharing content on social media is easy and simple. One click and your video could reach twenty people or 2,000 perhaps even millions. However, the risks of sharing are difficult to avoid. Therefore, for the time being it’s ideal to keep your child’s privacy on the internet. Moving back to old-fashioned ways of sharing could be an alternative. In particular, limiting the conversations with your child to face-to-face or voice and video calls could be a safer option to stay clear of the risks of sharing digital information.
Keep advanced content safe
Install secure security measures to safeguard digital files. In the event that you’re using electronic photos albums on platforms such as Google ensure that they’re protected by passwords. Create every social account you have to be private, and don’t allow strangers to join your social media network. Secure your devices, accounts and files by using safe passwords. Also, avoid hashtags when sharing content.
There’s an extremely fine line between what’s considered to be average and what’s considered oversharing. Many might even argue that it’s very subjective. However, if your sharing practices can be harmful to your child’s security, you’ll know it’s time to step back. If you’re one of the many parents who struggle to determine the acceptable and unacceptable in relation to sharing on the internet The best source of information is your gut. Along with a solid understanding of the possible risks of sharing, your sense of a parent can assist you in making those difficult choices.