What is “sharenting” and why it is better that you think about it before posting your child on social networks

Social networks have brought us many good things, but at the same time they have also opened the door to other bad things, in addition to being something relatively new, on many occasions we are unaware of the true effects that our actions are going to have in the future.

One of the aspects that are recently generating concern is that of “sharenting”. This term, which is derived from the English words share (share) and parenting (paternity), refers to the action carried out by parents to share everything their children do from their social network profiles.

From birthdays, the first steps or even the fact that the child is taking a bottle, there are some parents who feel the need to share it with their followers. On the one hand, this is understandable since parents are proud and want to show their child, but there is a darker side that many are not aware of.

think twice before posting

It is true that many parents are cautious with what they upload and also with the people who can access their children’s content, but there is always a loose case of someone outside with whom you do not have much of a relationship who can access them too.

At the same time, there are others who think about the digital footprint, the trace that we leave with personal information on the Internet, since by uploading content of your child for years as he grows, a profile of him exists on the Internet from a very young age.

To all this, and with the rise of social networks as a new form of business for some people. It is increasingly common to see a TikTok or Instagram profile of a child under the age of 14 (the legal age for social media) with thousands and thousands of followers.

These accounts are managed by the parents, but some people question what the true background of these profiles is. Are the children the ones who want to upload the video dancing, cooking or posing? Or is it really the parents who force them with the economic objective involved?

The debate is served, and it is sure that there will be cases in which it is the child who wants it while there will be others in which it is the parents. Be that as it may, what is clear is that as parents and legal guardians they must have a lot of responsibility with what their children upload, because despite the fact that they seem like a very nice place, social networks can be very dangerous.