The first day of school, the birthday cake, the Christmas play, a funny face at the dinner table. Sharing our children’s happy moments online is an affectionate, natural gesture: we want friends and relatives to share our joy. But have we ever asked what they think about it? This phenomenon has a name, sharenting, from share and parenting, and today it is the focus of several research projects.
Since 2025 the European Union has been funding the GUARDIAN project, led by researcher Anna Brosch of the University of Silesia, which studies how and why parents share content about their children and what risks follow. The first data gathered by the European Commission are clear: up to one child in three says their parents posted something about them without asking permission, and in some countries a share of young people have had to ask for content to be removed. Back in 2017, scholars Alicia Blum-Ross and Sonia Livingstone of the London School of Economics described the dilemma of parents torn between wanting to tell their story and their children’s right to build their own digital identity.
The point isn’t to feel guilty about a photo, but to be aware. What we post stays online for a long time, can be copied and shared by others, and can reveal information we don’t expect: the school from a uniform, the neighbourhood from a background, daily routines from the habits we describe. Above all, what seems sweet to us today could embarrass a teenager tomorrow.
A few practical ideas can help. As soon as children can express themselves, let’s ask their permission before posting, and respect a no. Let’s avoid school uniforms, names, recognisable places and geotags. For the most personal photos, private family groups are better than public profiles. And now and then, let’s ask ourselves: would I post this photo if it showed me at their age?
Asking a child for permission may seem like a small thing, but it teaches a precious lesson: their body, their image and their story belong to them. It’s a small gesture of respect that builds trust, online and off.
Sources
- European Commission, Horizon Magazine (2026), “Are parents sharing too much online? The hidden risks for children” – GUARDIAN project (MSCA, 2025-2028)
- Blum-Ross A., Livingstone S. (2017), “‘Sharenting,’ parent blogging, and the boundaries of the digital self”, Popular Communication, 15(2), 110-125
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