Sharenting: A Common Practice In Fatherhood And Motherhood 2.0
What do we understand by sharenting? Use social networks to share information about our sons and daughters. It is a combination of two words Sharing and Parenting.
Sharenting has become a very common practice among parents on social networks The practice refers to constantly sharing information and images of our children. Occasionally sharing an image or making a comment is not sharenting.
First of all, we must be aware that this practice means that we are creating a digital footprint for our sons and daughters without their consent When they are little they cannot decide about certain aspects of their life, including whether or not they want to appear on social networks.
Some parents justify this practice with the idea that boys and girls like to take photos or videos. That is not the problem, these minors really do not know the impact that that image or that video can have, and they do not know the reach, nor the number of people who see them, since they do not understand what a social network is.
That digital footprint and that exposure on networks creates a lack of privacy We do not share (or we should not share) everything that happens to us on social networks… Why is it different with children? Their right to privacy and intimacy must be respected.
Another risk associated with sharenting is cyberbullying. Our sons and daughters They may suffer harassment through social networks with information provided by their own fathers and mothers We may upload images or information that they find embarrassing and that can be used as a weapon by their peers.
Similarly, harassment can occur through an adult who initially tries to gain the trust of our sons and daughters pretending to be someone their age, showing empathy, affection and support. This practice is known as grooming and the purpose is to obtain images or videos with sexual content of the minor.
We upload information to the networks, but we do not know who uses that information or what their true intentions are. It is very easy to lie on the Internet; Let’s think about the number of minors who have profiles on social networks when the age allowed to open a profile is 13 years old on most platforms.
On the Internet and especially on social networks there are groups of pedophiles that feed on this type of content that fathers and mothers provide. The content is often used for sexual purposes
In the same way, we must reflect and see that on many occasions we are not just uploading an image, we are providing information about our son’s birthday, his hobbies, what team he plays on, where he trains, who his friends are… This, coupled with the fact that the images contain geolocation data and we are indicating in real time where our child is. All this information places our minors in a situation of great vulnerability
Another risk that our sons and daughters assume when sharing their information is fraud. By having your data and a lot of information, our sons and daughters can become victims of fraud And even that their images can be used for advertising purposes without consent.
This practice has increased considerably in recent years ; According to a study carried out by the universities of San Francisco and Michigan, 81% of babies have been exposed to social networks before they are 6 months old.
When you make that exhibition with thousands of followers, things get much worse; In many cases, in exchange for this exposure, an economic return is obtained.
The psychological impact of betrayal trauma
These minors, when they reach adolescence, can ask themselves why their life has been exposed on networks, as well as ask their parents for explanations. Psychologist Miguel Hernández, specialized in trauma, calls this betrayal trauma
What is betrayal trauma? It consists of the people we have trusted until now betraying us. When boys and girls reach maturity, and realize that they have been used, They can start a fight with their fathers and mothers, but above all with themselves
This phenomenon is not new, it has been happening for years in the film and television industry with the so-called “child prodigies.”
To do?
Currently, there is no legal regulation as defined in social networks as there may be in television and cinema regarding the image of minors.
We do not consider that anyone, any father or mother, carries out this practice to deliberately harm their children; however, The effects of sharenting exist and take their toll on our minors Therefore, we must be aware of this, since we are responsible for the physical and psychological safety of our sons and daughters.
