People Share 73 Hilariously Awkward Childhood Pics They Probably Wish They Could Delete

Before social media, it wasn’t as easy to share for parents to share childhood photos of their kids with many people. For the most part, these snapshots were confined within a photo album, only to be unearthed physically upon request. 

It’s a much more touchy issue in the digital age, where people with ill intentions can easily snag sensitive information online, including photos. Yet, many parents still do so, seemingly unaware of the risks they’re putting their children through. Experts have referred to this practice as sharenting.

As University of Florida professor Stacey Steinberg tells UNICEF, sharenting is when parents talk about their children outside the family circle, whether it’s writing a blog post about their children, sending videos through messaging platforms like WhatsAppm and sharing photos on social media. 

“When we share things about our children online without involving them in that decision-making process, we’re missing out on a valuable opportunity to teach our children and model for our children the idea of consent,” Steinberg said, admitting that social media has made it difficult for parents to keep their children’s lives completely private. 

Research cited by Verywell Mind found that 74% of parents know at least one parent who overshares information about their children online. Likewise, 1 out of 10 parents shares information about their kids’ health issues. 

As clinical psychologist Dr. Laura Anderson Kirby tells the publication, sharing sensitive information could compromise a child’s trust in their parent.

This isn’t to say that parents should completely avoid sharing about their kids on social media. Dr. Kirby suggested better ways to sharent, including posting anonymously in parental support groups. 

But more importantly, Dr. Kirby advises parents to get consent from their children. Part of it is explaining to their kids what they want to share, and respecting their wishes if they say no.