The findings of a study conducted by the C. S. Mott Children’s Hospital at the University of Michigan has pointed out some sad facts about children born into a digital world. Over sharing information about kids on social platforms, a phenomenon which has now led to the coning of a word called ‘sharenting’, could put the kids of such over enthusiastic and unsuspecting parents at risk, points out the study.
Increasingly tech savvy gadget wielding parents who now have presence over more than one networking sites now use the social media to seek and share advice about parenting challenges as well as to help friends and relatives stay in touch with their child.
The researchers in this case found that most parents of infants and toddlers (age group 0-4) young children are active on social media. “As many as 84% of mothers and 70% of fathers posted regular updates about their child on Facebook, Twitter, blogs and other online forums.” It was pointed out.
By doing so, they are able to reach out to other parents who might have gone through or are going through similar challenges. The most common topics on which parents seek advice, as listed by the poll, include getting the kids to sleep (28%), tips on promoting healthier eating habits and other nutrition related issues (26%), discipline related matters (19%), daycare/ preschool choices (17%), and behavior related problems (13%).
While this can really help parents solve some of their problems, they tend to share a bit too much about their young ones online, oblivious of the fact that it could imperil their kids’ safety and well being.
Sharenting can often lead to disclosing the exact location of a child, his/her eating habits, routine, likes and dislikes- making them easy targets for kidnappers and pedophiles.
“You’ve got to consider that there are a lot of predators out there. So we just tell people to be cautious about sending signals out to people about where they might be or where their children may be,” police spokesman Sgt. W. Patrick Swanton said.
“Remember that once it’s out there, it’s out there for the whole world to see and use,” Swanton said.
Not only that, the information thus shared might cause embarrassment to the kids as they grow up. More than half the parents interviewed (52%, to be precise) were indeed worried that they might have embarrassed their children unintentionally already.
