American researchers warn of the risks incurred by children, who have been exposed on social networks by their parents.
- More than one in four children aged 10 to 12 are embarrassed, worried or anxious when their parent posts a photo of them on social media.
- Policy makers would just begin to understand how much data exists for each user.
Back to school, birthday, swimming at the beach, walking in the forest… Some parents love to immortalize the best moments with their children and share the pictures on social networks. This is called “sharenting”, the contraction of “sharing”, namely “sharing” in French, and “parenting”, or “parenthood”.
This practice, which consists of posting photos on different platforms, is becoming more and more common. However, this exposure of children can lead to certain risks, according to scientists from the University of West Virginia (USA). “Sharing raises concerns about the privacy and well-being of children,” they wrote in a study published in the journal The Journal of Consumer Affairs. As part of this work, the researchers warn parents against the risks of this practice.
Why do parents share photos of their children?
According to the authors, the desire to share pictures of his children is natural. “It’s a bit like having bragging rights. But it’s about sharing them to a much wider audience”said Laurel Cook, author of the research, in a statement.
A “chemical component” would also be in question. Positive social interactions, like a comment or a “like,” can trigger the release of dopamine in the brain. Dopamine, the happiness hormone, causes a feeling of “reward” which, in turn, reinforces behavior. Simply put, the more positive feedback a user receives, the more likely they are to post snaps again.
The team also explained that many parents did not grow up with the Internet. Thus, the latter would not be aware of the risks associated with this exposure of their children.
Sharing: what are the risks?
According to the authors, this practice makes children vulnerable to online predators. “Much of the information found by pedophiles is not fabricated. It comes from parents”, reported Laurel Cook. And for good reason, once a photo is online, anyone can save it.
In addition to child safety, sharing photos raises issues around consent, scientists say. “It is very obvious that there is no real consent with many of these children,” specified the researcher.
She added that the various platforms collect data (surname, first name, date of birth, address, character traits, purchases, etc.) of all users, and sometimes even before the birth of a child. This digital imprint follows him throughout his life. “Many more people have access to information on minors”recalled Laurel Cook.
