Sharenting Dangers: Why School Photos Online Put Kids at Risk

6 min read

Digital Caution at the School Gate

Each fall, social media platforms are flooded with cheerful posts of children holding chalkboard signs proudly announcing their first day of school. These images often include a child’s name, grade, teacher’s name, school, and even future aspirations. While intended to commemorate milestones and share joy with friends and family, these posts can present significant safety risks. I have witnessed the unintended consequences of oversharing online. With predators increasingly exploiting digital spaces, it is crucial that parents understand the dangers of disclosing identifying information and adopt safer online behaviors.

The Hidden Dangers of Oversharing

Predators and the Digital Trail

Social media has become a powerful tool for connection, but it is also a fertile ground for exploitation. According to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), there were more than 32 million reports of suspected child sexual exploitation in 2022 alone, primarily involving online enticement and inappropriate image sharing (NCMEC 2023). Predators often use publicly available information to build virtual profiles of children, learning their routines, locations, and social circles to groom or target them. A child’s school, age, and interests- often shared innocently by parents- can be weaponized by those with malicious intent.

The Problem with "Sharenting"

The term “sharenting” describes the practice of parents sharing content about their children online. While most parents do so with good intentions, research indicates that by age 13, the average child will have more than 1,300 images of themselves posted online by their parents (Chamberlain 2022). These digital footprints are permanent and create opportunities for misuse. Identity thieves, for example, can extract details like full names, locations, and birthdates to commit fraud or build false identities. Additionally, these posts can be scraped and distributed in online forums that exploit child imagery, a growing concern documented by cybersecurity experts and law enforcement (Europol 2022).

Psychosocial Impacts on Children

Beyond safety, there are psychological implications for children whose lives are publicized without their consent. According to a study by Steinberg and McDonald (2021), children whose parents frequently post about them online report feelings of embarrassment and a lack of control over their personal narratives. This loss of autonomy can affect self-esteem and trust within the family unit. As digital citizens, children deserve privacy and the ability to shape their own identity at their own pace.

Practitioner Insights and Best Practices

Conducting a Digital Risk Assessment

Before posting about children online, parents should conduct a basic digital risk assessment. This involves evaluating what information is being shared, who can see it, and how it could be interpreted or misused. For example, a back-to-school photo that includes a child’s full name, grade level, teacher’s name, and school sign may inadvertently reveal enough information for someone to impersonate a caregiver or approach the child in person. Keeping posts general and omitting specific identifiers can significantly lower the risk of exposing a child to online threats.

Use Privacy Settings Strategically

Most social media platforms offer privacy settings that allow users to customize who can see their content. It is essential that parents review and adjust these settings regularly. Only trusted friends and family should have access to images of children, and location tagging should be disabled. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recommends turning off geotagging features in both smartphone cameras and apps to prevent automatically adding location data to photos (FTC 2022).

Teach Children Digital Awareness

Practitioners working with families emphasize the importance of fostering digital literacy in children from an early age. When children are included in conversations about what is shared online, they develop a stronger sense of self-agency and safety. Encouraging children to express their comfort levels with being photographed or posted about online promotes respect and long-term digital responsibility. According to a study by Livingstone and Blum-Ross (2020), involving children in these decisions enhances their ability to navigate online spaces safely in adolescence and adulthood.

Use Anonymity Tactics When Posting

If parents choose to share school-related content, they should consider creative strategies to protect their child’s identity. These include taking photos from behind, using emojis to cover faces, or cropping out signs with personal information. Some parents opt to create private, password-protected photo albums or use encrypted messaging platforms to share updates with select individuals. These methods maintain the celebratory spirit of milestones while prioritizing safety.

Key Takeaways

Limit identifying information: Avoid posting children’s full names, school names, grade levels, teacher names, and other specific details that could be used to locate or impersonate them.
Adjust privacy settings: Regularly review social media privacy settings, disallow public viewing of posts, and disable location tagging.
Foster dialogue: Engage children in discussions about their digital presence, allowing them to voice consent and learn about online safety.
Opt for safer sharing methods: Use private albums, encrypted messaging, or anonymous images to share milestones with close friends and family.
Stay informed: Follow updates from trusted organizations like NCMEC and the FTC to remain aware of online threats and protective strategies.

The Stakes Are Higher Than They Appear

The risks parents face by sharing photos of their underage children on social media are not hypothetical. A recent FBI Internet Crime Report recorded over 18,000 cases of online enticement of minors in 2022, an increase of 20 percent from the previous year (FBI 2023). Law enforcement agencies have repeatedly warned that predators often use seemingly harmless information from social media to track, groom, or manipulate children. The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention also notes that 1 in 7 children is approached online by someone seeking sexual contact (OJJDP 2022).

Digital footprints are not easily erased. Once an image or piece of information enters the online space, it may be saved, shared, or repurposed beyond the poster’s control. This permanence makes it all the more important to practice discretion and intentionality when posting about children.

As the new school year begins and timelines fill with smiling faces and chalkboard signs, remember that every post is a data point. Celebrate safely. Share wisely. The best protection for our children begins with what we choose not to post.

Think before you post—your child's safety could depend on it.

References

Chamberlain, Lisa. 2022. “Sharenting and Digital Identity.” Journal of Child Media and Technology 14(2): 101–117.
Europol. 2022. Internet Organized Crime Threat Assessment (IOCTA). The Hague: European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation.
Federal Trade Commission (FTC). 2022. “Protecting Your Child’s Privacy Online.” Accessed March 18, 2024. https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/protecting-your-childs-privacy-online.
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). 2023. 2022 Internet Crime Report. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice.
Livingstone, Sonia, and Alicia Blum-Ross. 2020. Parenting for a Digital Future: How Hopes and Fears about Technology Shape Children’s Lives. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). 2023. CyberTipline 2022 Report. Alexandria, VA: NCMEC.
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). 2022. “Online Predation and Youth.” U.S. Department of Justice. https://ojjdp.ojp.gov.
Steinberg, Susan, and Rachel McDonald. 2021. “Children’s Perceptions of Online Privacy and Parental Oversharing.” Journal of Adolescent Research 36(5): 565–588.