Pediatricians want parents to think twice before posting pictures or personal details about their children online. A pediatrician from St. Louis Children’s Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine listed six things that should stay off social media.
The guidance centers on “sharenting,” a blend of “sharing” and “parenting” that describes parents posting large amounts of potentially sensitive material about their children.
Two main concerns shape this advice. First, every post creates a digital record that can be difficult to erase and may impact children as they grow older. The second is security. Studies estimate that sharenting will contribute to nearly two-thirds of identity fraud cases involving young people by 2030, per a BBC report.
1. Nude or Partly Dressed Photos
Pictures of bath time and images of toddlers playing nude are common in family photo albums, but they do not need to be shared online. Parents can’t know who will view those photos of their child weirdly, and it is not worth the risk.
While most sites have content policies, the study suggests a stricter one: if an image could be considered sexually provocative, it shouldn’t be posted.
2. ID Documents and Personal Details
A teenager passing a driving test is worth celebrating, but posting a photo of the permit or license gives scammers everything they need to steal that teenager’s identity. Several details appear on such documents:
- Anyone who sees the post can copy a date of birth shown on the document.
- The Social Security number provides the hacker with one of the key pieces of personal data.
- Physical traits like hair and eye color complete the profile, which can be used for fraudulent purposes.
3. Failures and Shortcomings
Bragging about a child’s achievements is fine, and it can show children that their parents are proud of them and lift their self-esteem. Complaining in public about a child’s failures or shortcomings is different and it is unacceptable and damaging.
The suggestion is practical. Time spent checking likes and replying to comments could go toward talking with the child about what is going wrong.
4. Rants About Teachers or Coaches
A bad day at school or even a bad year with a teacher or coach is better handled in a meeting than in a post. School meetings and counseling sessions can settle some of these problems with an easy fix.
Venting online, collecting responses from the community and blowing the issue out of proportion can cost a parent the chance to resolve it smoothly in person.
5. Relationships
Teenagers’ emotions, friendships and romantic relationships should not be put on public display. Teens already carry enough emotion and peer pressure in private.
A parent’s post turns those personal experiences into something strangers can see, making an already hard stage of life even harder.
6. Health Issues
A fever or a broken bone often prompts an online post, since families look for support when someone they love is unwell. Put the camera down and care for the child first.
Most children would not want a picture of themselves looking tired on an emergency room bed shared online. If a post does go up, keep the details and description minimal.
Patient privacy rules get plenty of attention, so children’s own privacy rights deserve the same.
Posting online can feel safe because it happens from the comfort of home, but it can be as open and risky as a radio announcement about a child’s failure or a TV ad listing personal information. Children depend on their parents to keep them safe and secure.
