Social media experts warn of unintended consequences of 'sharenting'
The term "sharenting" may be new to some, but its meaning is self-explanatory.
It's a term used when parents post sensitive content about their young children online, often without consent, as the child may be too young to give it, or understand the full scope of what they're consenting to.
Social media marketing expert, Marc Botte, has heard of the term and says he's cautious of what he posts on the internet about his children.
"We're careful about the things we put online," said Botte, a social media marketing expert in Sydney, N.S.
Botte says he and his wife do share their child's moments online from time to time, but adds the content and audience is limited.
"Ultimately, we do put some funny photos and videos of our son on the internet," Botte said. “But we have our profiles locked down fairly well."
Caron Irwin works as a parenting coach in Toronto and has three children herself.
She says, in most cases, photos and videos are posted with the best intentions, but adds there is such thing as "oversharing."
She says some images could have unintended consequences for the child when they grow up, or as early as the teen and "tween" years.
"They're starting to figure out who they are in this world," Irwin said. “I do know that image or social media, or what they might see or what's portrayed of them, might impact their thoughts or feelings or ideas around who they are and their identity, and they might not appreciate that."
According to a study done in the United Kingdom, the average parent will post 1,500 pictures of their child online before the age of five.
The study also noted that almost a third of parents surveyed said they had never thought to seek a child’s permission before posting, with 55 per cent saying they weren't concerned about repercussions.
Experts in the study said consequences could include things like identity fraud in the future and unintentionally putting kids at risk to things like hacking, facial recognition tracking and pedophilia.
Irwin says if the child is old enough to understand and offer consent, the best bet is to ask them first.
"I think that helps get some buy-in from the kids," Irwin said. “It also helps model to our children that it's normal to ask for consent before you share something on social media."
Another study by Microsoft in 2019 found that more than 40 per cent of teens surveyed across 25 countries said they were troubled about how much their parents shared online.
"The tendency in this day and age is to share everything, to share every intimate moment with the world," Botte said. “That's kind of the culture that we live in, but I think moderation is important."
The bottom line, experts say, is that parents are ultimately responsible for their children’s digital footprint until they're old enough to use social media themselves.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW For their protection, immigrants critical of China and India call for speedy passage of Canada's foreign interference legislation
Canadian immigrants threatened by hostile regimes are urging parliamentarians to quickly pass the 'Countering Foreign Interference Act' so they can feel safe living in their adopted home.
OPINION No reunion between Prince Harry and the King signifies a setback for royal unity
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Most of Canada to receive emergency alert test today
The federal government will test its capacity to issue emergency alerts today, with the exception of Ontario, where the test will take place on May 15.
How Drake and Kendrick Lamar's rap beef escalated within weeks
A long-simmering feud between hip-hop superstars Drake and Kendrick Lamar reached a boiling point in recent days as the pair traded increasingly personal insults on a succession of diss tracks. Here’s a quick overview of what’s behind the ongoing beef.
'A huge difference': These adults born in the '90s partnered with their parents to buy homes in Ontario
An Ontario woman said it would have been impossible to buy a house without her mother – an anecdote that animates the fact that over 17 per cent of Canadian homeowners born in the ‘90s own their property with their parents, according to a new report.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'