Go ahead and judge—I know I would. It was only when I began to notice strangers recognizing my children in public that the reality of my oversharenting hit me hard. A University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll reveals I’m not the only parent sharing too much online; this “sharenting” trend is prevalent. In fact, over half of mothers and nearly a third of fathers surveyed admitted to discussing their children’s health and parenting experiences on social media.
But where do we draw the line between sharing cherished moments and invading our children’s privacy? For instance, did I go too far by posting that photo of my son struggling during potty training? Please, let’s not answer that.
“By the time kids are old enough to have their own social media accounts, a digital footprint has often already been established by their parents,” explains Mia Thompson, M.P.H., associate director of the C.S. Mott poll, and associate research scientist in the U-M Department of Pediatrics. “The line between sharing and oversharing can easily become blurred, and parents may inadvertently disclose information that their children may find embarrassing as they grow up. Once it’s online, it’s incredibly difficult to erase, leaving the child with little control over its exposure.”
But what if our kids are already taking steps to reclaim their online identities? Many young people are opting out of the very platforms we’ve taken such care to curate for them. More than 11 million have abandoned Facebook since 2011, with my 12-year-old dismissing it as “a site for old people to post lame pictures.” Even Instagram is losing its appeal to them due to the increasing presence of parents and their relentless “pics or it didn’t happen” attitude.
So where are they headed? They’re flocking to platforms like SnapChat, Oovoo, Whisper, and Secret—spaces where they can create and manage their online presence with content that’s temporary and less permanent. It’s a clever approach, really; by steering clear of our oversharing, they’re rendering it almost obsolete.
Guess it’s time to focus on those trendy belfies!
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Summary
The trend of oversharenting is widespread among parents, with many sharing personal details about their children’s lives online. This can lead to potential embarrassment for children as they age, as their digital identities are often established by their parents. However, children are increasingly distancing themselves from these platforms, seeking control over their own online presence on more ephemeral social media.