Many parents are in the habit of posting photos of their children on social networks. But this seemingly innocent practice can have serious consequences…
Social networks now occupy a prominent place in our daily lives, where sharing moments of life has become commonplace. Parents, in particular, no longer hesitate to publish photos of their children to share with their loved ones their first steps, their birthdays or even the holidays spent together. At first glance, this seems harmless, even touching. But behind these publications lie unsuspected dangers, which many parents underestimate.
This phenomenon has a name: “sharenting”, a contraction of the words “share” and “parenting”. It refers to the practice of parents sharing, sometimes massively and regularly, content featuring their children on the Internet. On average, 1,300 photos of a child circulate online before the age of thirteen.
However, this practice, which has become commonplace in the digital age, raises many problems, the consequences of which we do not necessarily measure. First, there is the question of respecting children’s privacy. Indeed, a child’s digital identity should not be constructed without their consent. This is why, in France, the digital majority is now set at 15 years old.
In addition, posting images or personal details of a child can jeopardize their safety and digital future. Although most posts are made in a family or friendly setting, they quickly escape the control of their authors, like any content on the Internet. However, it is important to be aware of the fact that each image posted online can be recovered, copied or diverted. Photos of children are particularly popular with online predators or can be reused in malicious contexts, such as deepfakes, identity theft or even cyberbullying.
And it’s not just nude photos that can be problematic. A seemingly innocent photo can reveal a whole host of sensitive information to those who pay attention: school attended, extracurricular activities, home address, etc.
In addition, the child, once an adult, may not appreciate the presence of these images, which could affect his or her personal or professional life. Content posted today may resurface years later, in unexpected contexts, and have an impact on his or her private life. The CNIL has also revealed that it is receiving more and more complaints from young adults wishing to have content published by their parents when they were minors removed.
To protect your children from sharenting, a few rules are necessary. First, before each publication, it is crucial to ask yourself the following question: “Would my child like this photo to be visible to everyone in ten years?” If possible, it is even better to ask their permission directly.
It is also recommended to only share images via messaging, emails or MMS. And if there is really no other solution than to share them on social networks, it is advisable to hide the child’s face, with an emoji or by blurring it for example. Privacy settings must also be rigorously checked, so that only trusted people have access to the publications. Finally, it is absolutely necessary to limit personal information (full names, school, places frequented) that could allow strangers to find a child in real life.