United States: The consequences of one’s excessive reporting about their children on social networks would be rather destructive and long-term for their psychological well-being, as the health officials are urging parents.
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As per an article published by the Cleveland Clinic, “sharenting” means “the act of digital oversharing, of excessively posting information, pictures, stories or updates about your child’s life.”
Examples of sharenting include announcing personal achievements that may be deemed private by children and parents such as when a child is out of diapers or a girl getting her first period, as US News reported.
Sharing that a child is a naughty one because he made a mistake or got injured could also be embarrassing to children.
It also includes simple things such as posting a child’s good report card, in which Dr. Susan Albers of Cleveland Clinic noted that such seemingly harmless posts could adversely affect self-esteem.
Albers explained, “Sometimes, parents unknowingly create pressure on their kids by crafting an idealized image online of who their child is,” and “That can lead to dips in self-esteem and self-worth.”
Moreover, she added that the intention of a parent’s post is positive, but the act of oversharing of detail related to a child’s life “comes with a lot of gray areas.”
“Sharenting comes with lots of gray areas regarding a child’s privacy, autonomy, protection, and right to informed consent,” Albers noted, according to US News reports.
“Some countries have put regulations in place to ensure parents are sharing safely,” “But we don’t have many laws in the U.S. that protect children online. Everyone has to figure out for themselves when their social media use crosses a line,” she added.
More about effects of sharenting
Despite that, the research on sharenting is still in its early stages, but the experts have pointed out that the mental health impacts of the phenomenon have already started to manifest themselves in teenagers.
In this discussion, Albers cited that her teenage patients have been bringing to her counseling session discussions about their parents’ digital behavior.
According to Albers, “Teenagers, in particular, bring it up because their parents are sharing information they’re uncomfortable with,” and, “We need to understand the long-term emotional impact sharenting may have on children — impacts that we cannot see or fathom yet because they haven’t been researched.”