A child protection charity the UK is urging parents to ask their children permission before uploading photos and videos them social media. This follows a study Ofcom, a communications watchdog, revealing that parents are divided whether it is right to post photos their children online. The practice parents uploading photos and videos of their kids is termed "sharenting". This is a combination the words "share" and "parenting". Ofcom said the biggest reason parents not sharing photos of their kids is to protect the privacy of under-18s. The NSPCC said: "Each time a photo or video is uploaded, it creates a digital footprint a child which can follow them adult life."
The website theatlantic.com highlighted how prevalent sharenting is the USA. It said: "In the United States, the vast majority 2-year-olds…already have an online presence. More than 80 per cent babies younger than that are already social media." The website said there is a conflict between a parent's pride their children and his or her desire to share photos of them, and the potential dangers sharing photos of their kids. Parents often include personal information about their children along the photos they upload. This could put kids risk of identity theft and digital kidnapping. There is also the danger parents publishing real-time information their children's whereabouts.
