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 launches app to share short-lived photos, videos

    Facebook launches app to share short-lived photos, videos
    Social networking site Facebook has launched a new app called Slingshot that allows people to share short-lived photos and videos with one another.

    Facebook launches app to share short-lived photos, videos

    'Smart' eye-embedded device can manage glaucoma better

    'Smart' eye-embedded device can manage glaucoma better
    In a ray of hope for glaucoma patients, engineers have designed a first of its kind electronic sensor that can be placed permanently in a person's eye to track changes in eye pressure.

    'Smart' eye-embedded device can manage glaucoma better

    App to make your fussy kid eat

    App to make your fussy kid eat
    Do you find your kids' mealtime frustrating as he/she throws tantrums, refuses to try new cuisines or eats only a little portion?

    App to make your fussy kid eat

    Selfies daunting women on bad skin days: Study

    Selfies daunting women on bad skin days: Study
    Selfie trend has taken over social media, and it somehow propels everyone to look photo-ready all of the time. But a latest research shows that 68 percent of women feel negative about photos of themselves that haven’t been enhanced by a photographic filter.

    Selfies daunting women on bad skin days: Study

    Like it! Emotions can spread among Facebook users

    Like it! Emotions can spread among Facebook users
    When things just do not go your way, do you often turn to Facebook to find emotional support from friends? Keep doing this as this so-called "emotional contagion" effect works both ways.

    Like it! Emotions can spread among Facebook users

    How text messages can help control diabetes

    How text messages can help control diabetes
    The unsolicited text messages that ask you every day to buy a flat or visit a massage parlour must have irritated you a lot, but if efficiently used, the short text messages also have the potential to help control diabetes.

    How text messages can help control diabetes