75% of parents have shared a picture, stories or videos of their children on social media.
80% and more parents have used real names.
source security.org
Amid the incessant sharing and virtual documentation of our existence, a perilous trend has emerged. A seemingly innocuous act, akin to leaving a door ajar, actually exposes the vulnerability of young lives to prying eyes and potential dangers lurking in the virtual shadows. It is like unwittingly handing over the keys to a child’s bedroom to a stranger on the internet.
In an age dominated by social media, the practice of ‘sharenting’ has become ubiquitous. A portmanteau of parenting and sharing, sharenting is defined as parents oversharing content about their children on social media. This includes photos, videos and personal stories. While this apparently allows parents to connect, celebrate milestones and share the joys of parenting, sharenting exposes children to the darker side of the digital world. Momentarily alleviating social isolation and bringing about perceived social validation can have perilous consequences for the child.
According to a survey by security.org, 75 per cent of parents have shared a picture, stories or videos of their children on social media, and more than 80 per cent parents have used real names. A study by Barclays Bank predicts that by 2030, annual occurrences of identity fraud associated with sharenting could lead to damages up to $900 million.
In today’s influencer culture, vlogger parents also use their kids for creating social media content, putting their child’s life and future at risk. These parents not only broadcast their own lives, but also that of their children to the world. The consequences of such forms of sharenting, influencer or otherwise, can be far-reaching, with potential risks ranging from digital kidnapping to cyberbullying to emotional scarring of the child and sextortion, possibly hurting even future prospects. People tend to miss the latent issue with sharenting, which is surveillance and privacy issues that come with exposing data and not envisaging worst-case scenarios.
Digital kidnapping, grooming and cyberbullying
One of the gravest risks associated with sharenting is digital kidnapping. Malicious individuals can exploit the shared images and information to create false online identities, falsely claiming the child as their own. This distressing phenomenon not only violates the child’s privacy but can also cause emotional turmoil for the entire family. Sharenting also opens the door for potential predators who may use the information shared online to identify and groom children. Establishing a relationship with a child through the details disclosed on social media, predators may groom, exploit or abuse children offline. Additionally, children’s images and personal details can be misused by peers for cyberbullying, leading to emotional distress and potential harm to the child’s well-being.
Sextortion, AI-based image manipulation and identity theft
The risk of sextortion, where perpetrators threaten to share compromising content unless the child complies with their demands, is another alarming consequence of sharenting. Sharing personal information, such as full names, birthdates and locations, increases the risk of identity theft. Criminals may use this information for fraudulent activities.
Advances in technology are making it easier for malicious actors to manipulate images using AI tools, creating fake or altered content that can damage a child’s reputation and privacy. While sharenting itself poses multiple risks for the safety of our children, the integration of AI can exacerbate these dangers, leading to serious consequences. Deep fake tech enables the manipulation and morphing of images with unprecedented realism. The creation of fake or altered content featuring children could make it difficult to discern between real and manipulated images, and it can potentially put children in compromising situations.
Convincingly fabricated false narratives and scenarios involving children can lead to grave consequences, ranging from emotional trauma, cyberbullying to even the creation of explicit content using a child’s face. Responsible sharing practices, prioritising privacy and staying informed about evolving technologies help mitigate these dangers and protect the safety of our children in the digital landscape.
Violation of privacy and safeguarding children
Children have a fundamental right to privacy, and sharing a child’s images and personal details without their consent infringes upon this right. Exposing children to the digital world without their consent also robs them of the choice not to be on social media. Parents need to consider long-term repercussions, while the potential for harm continues to increase daily.
To mitigate these risks, parents should minimise sharing data on social media and enable privacy settings. Please do not share full names, ages, dates of birth, home addresses, names of schools, names of pets or even favourite places and photographs. Sensitive information that could compromise a child’s safety and mental well-being should never be disclosed online.
Keeping it vague is another strategy to maintain a safe environment for sharing content. If sharing pictures is deemed necessary, consider images that don’t show the child’s face or disclose specific details about their parents or guardians.
Legal framework and child rights on the internet
Kidfluencing―influencer culture using children―is a matter of great concern, given how young kids are used (read misused) against their consent. The realm of child social media influencers can prove extremely profitable, as their earnings soar through advertising agreements and merchandise transactions. According to Forbes, children below the age of 10 feature among the top earning influencers in the world. One of them is eight-year-old American Ryan Kaji, whose toy review channel raked in $27 million in 2021. The commodification of a child’s innocence, fuelled by unregulated influencer space, is impacting the privacy and safety of children. Scholars now argue that this kidfluencing culture is akin to child labour.
Legal safeguards for child rights and protection on the internet have begun emerging. France has passed a legislation to prevent parents from sharing photos of their children online. This is the first-ever legal safeguard by any country specifically addressing the concerns of sharenting. Recently, Illinois became the first state in the US to pass a law safeguarding child social media influencers, used by their parents to mint money. The law aims to prevent parents who would attempt to take advantage of their child’s talents and use them for their own financial gain. Similarly, the Digital Service Act (DSA) passed by the European Union in 2022 aims to contain the spread of harmful content and create a mechanism that can easily detect and punish illegal content featuring children.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child adopted General Comment No 25 in February 2021, emphasising children’s rights within the digital landscape. This landmark document underscores that the principles of human rights extend to children both in the physical and digital realms. By acknowledging the significance of the digital environment, the UNCRC reinforces the idea that children deserve protection, dignity and equal rights online.
Educating stakeholders through digital literacy programmes
Raising awareness about the potential risks associated with sharenting is essential. Encouraging responsible online behaviour that prioritises safety helps create a supportive online environment for children. Implementing digital literacy is yet another proactive step. Assam Police’s groundbreaking awareness campaign―#DontBeASharent―stands out as a beacon in this domain. Leveraging the power of artificial intelligence, the campaign strategically employed AI-generated visuals to highlight the potential hazards of sharenting. The innovative approach not only garnered widespread attention but also earned the campaign international acclaim, receiving accolades and extensive media coverage across the globe. A research conducted by Real Research after our viral campaign was launched found that the “tweet by Assam Police served as an eye-opener, as 52.67 per cent found sharenting concerning, 38.03 per cent were somewhat concerned, 5.04 per cent were not so much, and 4.26 per cent were not concerned at all”.
Sharenting comes with significant risks that can impact a child’s well-being and privacy. By prioritising privacy, obtaining consent and implementing digital literacy programmes, we can navigate the challenges of sharenting and create a safer online environment for our children. It is time to recognise that children are not social media content, but individuals deserving of protection and respect in the digital age. The time to address the evolving challenges and opportunities presented by the digital age while emphasising the need to ensure a safe and inclusive digital space for the younger generation is right now.
Harmeet Singh is special director general of police, Assam, and in-charge, Assam Police Smart Social Media Centre-Nagrik Mitra. Salik Khan is creative consultant, Assam Police Smart Social Media Centre-Nagrik Mitra.