Close X
Sunday, December 1, 2024
ADVT 
Tech

Do Parents Share Excessively About Kids On Social Media?

Darpan News Desk IANS, 17 Mar, 2015 02:37 PM
    You love to share the pics and videos of your kid's antics on social media. But are you ending up sharing too much? A lot of parents say yes.
     
    University of Michigan National Poll on Children's Health found that more than half of the mothers and one-third of fathers are discussing child health and parenting on social media.
     
    Nearly three quarters of parents said social media makes them feel less alone.
     
    But how far is too far when it comes to crossing the boundaries between public and private life?
     
    "By the time children are old enough to use social media themselves, many already have a digital identity created for them by their parents," said Sarah J. Clark from the University of Michigan.
     
    "On one hand, social media offers today's parents an outlet they find incredibly useful, on the other hand, some are concerned that over sharing may pose safety and privacy risks for their children," Clark added.
     
    When sharing parenting advice on social media, common topics included getting kids to sleep (28 percent), nutrition and eating tips (26 percent), discipline (19 percent), daycare/preschool (17 percent) and behaviour problems (13 percent), according to the poll that surveyed a national sample of parents of children aged zero to four.
     
    However, parents also recognised potential pitfalls of sharing information about their children, with nearly two-thirds concerned someone would learn private information about their child or share photos of their child.
     
    More than half also worried that when older, their child may be embarrassed by what was shared.
     
    "There's potential for the line between sharing and over sharing to get blurred. Parents may share information that their child finds embarrassing or too personal when they are older but once it's out there, it's hard to undo," Clark said.
     
    "The child won't have much control over where it ends up or who sees it," Clark added.
     
    Three-quarters of parents polled also pointed to "oversharenting" by another parent, including parents who shared embarrassing stories, gave information that could identify a child's location, or posted photos perceived as inappropriate.
     
    Stories of sharenting gone wrong have been rampant, with one of the most extreme examples included a phenomenon called "digital kidnapping" reported earlier this year.
     
    Parents were shocked to learn that strangers were "stealing" their kids online photos and resharing them as if the children were their own.
     
    In other cases, children's photos have become the target of cruel jokes and cyber bullying.
     
    Among the most notorious cases in recent years was that of a Facebook group that made fun of "ugly" babies.

    MORE Tech ARTICLES

    Facebook introduces new app only for celebrities

    Facebook introduces new app only for celebrities
    Social networking site Facebook has launched a new app called 'Mentions' for Facebook-recognised or verified celebrities to help them manage their public figure pages.

    Facebook introduces new app only for celebrities

    Now inbuilt anti-glare screen for smartphones, tablets

    Now inbuilt anti-glare screen for smartphones, tablets
    Soon, you will not have to tilt your smartphone or tablet to avoid glare while watching your favourite movie or video. Scientists has developed a novel...

    Now inbuilt anti-glare screen for smartphones, tablets

    'Bots' writing Wikipedia pages for you

    'Bots' writing Wikipedia pages for you
    If you find some writings on Wikipedia a bit pompous or awkward because they read too formal, do not blame humans. For an increasing number of entries on Wikipedia are being written by automated software or 'bots'.

    'Bots' writing Wikipedia pages for you

    NASA sends odour-resistant dress for astronauts

    NASA sends odour-resistant dress for astronauts
    NASA has sent an Antares rocket to the International Space Station (ISS) carrying a Cygnus spacecraft stuffed with supplies for astronauts, including odour-resistant exercise clothing.

    NASA sends odour-resistant dress for astronauts

    Now, santoor sounds through mobile app

    Now, santoor sounds through mobile app
    Soothing santoor tones, serene Om chants for meditation -- all these and more will now be available on your smartphones, courtesy a new mobile app targeted at popularising Indian classical music among youngsters.

    Now, santoor sounds through mobile app

    NASA closer to finding life beyond earth

    NASA closer to finding life beyond earth
    Do you often dream about extraterrestrial life beyond earth? NASA scientists are engaged in proving your dreams to be true.

    NASA closer to finding life beyond earth