Social media and kids are a bad mix, yet parents still post their photos online

A deeper understanding of children's safety and well-being could shape adult social media patterns for the better.

- Joanne Orlando

As Australia's ban on under-16-year-olds having certain social media accounts kicks in this week, debate on whether it's a good idea or even legal rages on both at home and overseas.

Yet, barely acknowledged in this debate is what happens when a child doesn't have an account, but their entire childhood is still documented online. Should this be permitted?

"Sharenting" - when parents share their children's lives online - entered the dictionary a few years ago. Awareness of potential risks has been increasing, but many parents still routinely share pictures and videos of their children online.

Sharenting is widespread and persistent. A review of practices over the past 10 years found that parents commonly share details such as children's names, dates of birth, birthday parties, milestones (birthdays, school achievements), health information and photos. This produces a "digital identity" of the child long before they can consent.

And it's not just parents. Dance schools, soccer clubs and various other community groups, as well as family members and friends, commonly post about children online. All contribute to what's essentially a collective digital album about the child. Even for children not yet old enough to have their own account, their lives could be heavily documented online until they do.

This challenge moves us well beyond traditional approaches to safety messages such as "don't share your personal details online" or "don't talk to strangers". It requires a deeper understanding of what exactly safety and well-being for children on online platforms looks like.

A PASSIVE DATA SUBJECT