The Problem With Sharenting And Documenting Autism On Social Media

Many parents share their children’s lives online—and I think it’s wrong. I’m sorry, but how can any parent think it’s right to take away their child’s right to privacy? Sharenting and documenting autism on social media has become a common practice, especially for raising awareness or finding support. But that doesn’t mean it’s right. I’ve already explained in another post why I won’t share my child online, and many of the reasons in this post are also why I disagree with accounts that share the journey of their SEN children, or children with other disabilities or medical problems.

So let’s look at the benefits (if there are any) and dangers of sharing autistic children’s stories online. Keep reading to learn how to protect your child’s privacy while still connecting with others.

Sharenting And Documenting Autism

Understanding Sharenting
Benefits of Sharing Autism Stories Online
Risks of Sharenting for Autistic Children
Ethical Concerns Surrounding Sharenting
Impact of Sharenting on Family Dynamics
Legal and Regulatory Aspects
Alternatives to Public Sharing
Documenting Autism Responsibly
Role of Social Media Platforms
- Privacy features offered by platforms
Building Awareness without Compromising Privacy
Conclusion

Understanding Sharenting

Sharenting means parents share their kids’ lives online, often on social media. Many do this with good intentions, but it can have bad consequences for the children.

Definition of sharenting

Sharenting is the practice of parents sharing pictures, videos, or personal stories about their children on social media platforms. This can include daily updates, milestones, or even details about a child’s health like autism.

It has grown popular in this digital age as proud parents want to document their child’s life online. Many post cute pictures or discuss special needs to connect with fellow parents. Though done with good intentions, oversharing can lead to risks such as identity theft and long-term digital footprints for children.

Common practices in sharenting

Posting photos of their children on Instagram accounts or other social media feeds. Many parents capture milestones, birthdays, or daily moments for others to see.
Sharing detailed information about their children’s personal lives, including health updates or school achievements. Sometimes, this includes sensitive information like autism diagnoses or therapy details.
Uploading images and videos of their children on platforms such as TikTok or YouTube. Some content creators use these to gain followers or subscribers by sharing family dynamics or challenges they face raising autistic individuals.
Writing blogs that disclose the ups and downs of parenting an autistic child. These posts often include emotional journeys and advice for other parents in similar situations.
Creating digital scrapbooks to document a child’s growth publicly instead of keeping such moments private within family albums or secure spaces.
Engaging in groups on social network sites where parents openly discuss issues related to autism, sharing specific examples from their own experiences.
Using public hashtags linked to autism awareness or parenting to increase visibility for their posts, making them accessible worldwide without strict privacy settings.

Why parents document their autistic children online

Many parents share their autistic child’s journey to connect with others. They hope to find support and build a community of like-minded families. Sharing pictures of their children or personal details can make them feel less alone.

Some believe sharing helps raise awareness about autism. It allows others to understand the daily lives of their children. Parents also use social media accounts like TikTok to educate young people about challenges and achievements in raising an autistic child.

Raising awareness about autism

Autism affects many children worldwide, yet it’s often misunderstood. Raising awareness helps create acceptance and understanding in society. Sharing personal information like challenges or successes on social networks can educate others about autism without needing a medical or clinical psychologist’s input.

Posting children’s photos or stories might reach thousands of viewers quickly. Highlighting positive aspects of autism fosters support and inclusion for family members and other autistic individuals.

But the issue here is that a child should never be responsibly for raising awareness for something.

Creating support networks for parents

Parents often feel alone when sharing their child’s autism journey online. Social media can bring them together with a group of parents who face similar challenges. Platforms like Facebook and Instagram allow users to form private groups or forums for discussions.

These spaces offer emotional support and practical advice. Parents share tips, success stories, and resources that help others navigate daily struggles. By connecting with each other, they build strong social support systems while respecting children’s privacy if handled responsibly.

Parents often share tips and advice online to help others facing similar challenges. This includes autism therapies, education tools, or coping strategies for daily struggles. Social media groups and forums provide spaces to discuss these resources freely.

Sharing is powerful but requires care. Avoid posting sensitive details about children’s struggles or health conditions. Choose general advice that benefits many without risking privacy.

For example, recommending apps for speech therapy or sensory-friendly products helps others while protecting personal boundaries.

Risks of Sharenting for Autistic Children

Sharing too much online can expose autistic children to privacy issues and long-term harm—read on to learn how to protect them.

Privacy concerns and identity theft

Posting children’s photos online can lead to serious privacy issues. Hackers may steal these images and details to create fake profiles, a crime known as digital kidnapping. Parents often share a lot of detailed information about their child, like their school or hobbies, which makes it easier for bad actors to misuse this data.

Sharing too much puts kids at risk of identity theft that could affect them for a long time.

Thieves can use public disclosures parents post to ruin the safety of their child’s future. A stolen identity might involve opening bank accounts or applying for loans in the child’s name without anyone knowing until years later.

Even innocent posts contribute to an own digital footprint before the average child understands its impact.

Digital footprints and long-term implications

Every image of children shared online becomes part of their digital footprint. This lasts forever and is hard to erase. Parents unknowingly build an online presence for their autistic child that they cannot control later in life.

These posts may include personal struggles, medical details, or private moments that could embarrass the child as they grow older.

A large digital footprint increases risks like identity theft and cyberbullying. Strangers can misuse photos or videos posted with good intentions. The practice of a parent oversharing might also affect future opportunities, such as jobs or education access if information surfaces years later.

Privacy concerns lead directly into potential exploitation risks for shared content about these children’s lives….

From the moment a child is born, their date of birth, time of birth, birth weight, first tooth, first time sleeping through the night, first word, when they took their first step can all be shared on social media. Strangers shouldn’t know this informatoin.

Exploitation and misuse of shared content

Shared content can fall into the wrong hands. Images of children posted online may be edited, stolen, or used in harmful ways. Child predators and abusers often target such material. This creates a real danger for families.

Trolls or strangers might use shared stories to spread negative comments. Some even exploit posts about autism for personal gain, twisting narratives to fit their own needs. The digital world amplifies these risks, leaving parents vulnerable to potential dangers like identity theft or cyberbullying.

Ethical Concerns Surrounding Sharenting

Sharing a child’s life online can raise tough questions about privacy and respect. Parents must weigh their advocacy efforts against their child’s right to dignity.

Balancing advocacy with respect for privacy

Advocating for autism awareness is important, but privacy must come first. Parents should consider how much personal information about their autistic child they share online. Sharing too many details can lead to risks like identity theft or exposing the child to harmful attention.

Parents can still raise awareness without oversharing. Use general experiences or non-identifiable stories instead of posting names, photos, or private struggles. This approach respects the child’s dignity and protects them from potential long-term effects of having their lives displayed publicly.

Respecting privacy also includes valuing a child’s choice. Children should have a say in how their stories are shared online, especially by parents practising sharenting. A child cannot give informed consent until they are 16 years old, this is because a child might not fully understand the long-term risks of digital footprints or identity theft. A child may say yes to having information or photos shared about them online, but they do not understand how that information may be used, or even go viral.

Sharing sensitive information about a child could affect mental health and trust within family relationships over time.

Monetisation of a child’s personal stories

Using a child’s personal stories to make money raises serious concerns. Parents may share videos or posts about their autistic children on platforms like TikTok or YouTube, hoping for subscribers or income.

This can blur the line between advocacy and exploitation. The focus often shifts from helping the child to gaining views and profit. The exploitation of Abbie Maass is a good example of this.

This can lead to negative effects for the child in the future. Their struggles get turned into content without consent, creating lasting digital footprints. Sharing too much could harm their privacy and dignity.

Exploiting these stories can even resemble forms of child abuse, according to critics.

Impact of Sharenting on Family Dynamics

Sharenting can create tension between parents and children, especially as kids grow older and value their privacy. It may also affect trust within the family if boundaries are not respected.

Strained relationships with children

Oversharing can hurt trust between parents and children. Kids may feel exposed or embarrassed by sensitive stories shared online. They might not understand why private moments are public, causing frustration.

As kids grow, they may resent decisions made without their consent. Digital footprints last forever. This could lead to awkward situations with peers or employers in the future, impacting relationships further.

On Reddit, there are multiple examples of anonymous members sharing their stories saying their parents shared their lives on YouTube as children. Many of these children plan to cut their parents out of their lives when they are financially able to. They tell stories of how the camera was in their face from when they woke up in the morning, holidays being ruined by having to perform and no privacy.

Ethical dilemmas faced by parents

Strains in family relations can lead parents to tough choices about sharing. Parents may feel torn between raising awareness and protecting their child’s privacy. The need for advocacy often clashes with concerns over long-term risks, such as digital footprints or unwanted exposure. The push to monetise content adds another layer—turning personal stories into views or subscribers feels exploitative at times. Balancing these ethics becomes an ongoing challenge.

Sibling privacy and inclusion

Sharing a child’s autism story online can affect siblings too. They might feel left out or overshadowed by the attention on their autistic sibling. Parents must balance this dynamic to ensure every child feels valued and included.

Oversharing can also expose siblings’ lives without consent. A family’s private moments, once public, may impact all children in ways parents don’t foresee. Setting boundaries protects everyone’s privacy and fosters healthy family relationships.

Legal and Regulatory Aspects

Laws about sharenting differ worldwide, and knowing them can help protect your child—read on to learn more!

Data protection laws and children’s rights

Data protection laws aim to safeguard children’s rights online. These laws, like GDPR in the European Union, stress that kids’ data deserves special care. Parents often share a child’s photos or stories, but this may expose personal information. This can risk identity theft or misuse of sensitive details by others. Children’s privacy is also protected under global agreements like the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. It highlights their right to keep certain matters private. Sharing too much online could ignore these rights and harm them later in life.

Global differences in sharenting regulations

In the United States, laws offer some protection but leave gaps. Parents have control over their child’s data, but children lack full rights to privacy online. Europe takes a stricter approach under GDPR. It protects children’s data better and lets content be deleted upon request. France has gone further, with parents facing legal action for exposing their child’s private life too much.

Some countries are just starting to address this issue. Australia is considering changes after debates about “sharenting syndrome” grew louder last year. China focuses on controlling online platforms more than individual users, while the UK balances parental freedom with tougher privacy protections for kids on social media platforms like TikTok and YouTube.

Potential legal consequences for oversharing

Posting too much online may break data protection laws. These laws, like GDPR in Europe, aim to protect children’s privacy and rights. Sharing sensitive details about autism could violate these rules if done without care.

Courts might act if a child’s shared content harms their future. Identity theft is another risk tied to oversharing personal stories or images. Proper awareness of such risks leads into ethical concerns surrounding sharenting.

Some parents choose to keep their child’s story private. You can still find creative ways to share experiences while protecting privacy.

Keeping private, family-only digital scrapbooks

Create a digital scrapbook with photos, videos and milestones. Use password-protected apps or offline tools to keep it private. This ensures memories stay safe while avoiding online risks like identity theft.

Share access only with trusted family members. Include joyful moments and achievements without oversharing personal details. Protect your child’s privacy while preserving special memories securely.

Using anonymous forums for support

These platforms let parents share struggles and wins without linking back to their identities. It’s an outlet for honest conversations about raising autistic children while protecting family privacy.

Parents connect with others facing similar challenges. They swap advice, resources, or coping strategies in real-time. Forums like Reddit or Autism Support Network create spaces for sharing experiences safely—without putting a child’s identity at risk online. You can also join private Facebook groups which have the option to let you post anonymously.

Parents can share autism stories while keeping their child’s privacy safe. They might use pseudonyms or initials instead of real names. Blurring faces in photos or avoiding images altogether ensures the child stays unrecognisable online.

Sharing general experiences without adding dates, locations, or specific events also helps. This reduces risks like identity theft and exploitation. Using private groups or anonymous forums offers safer spaces to connect with others.

Documenting Autism Responsibly

Highlighting achievements rather than struggles

Celebrate milestones like tying shoes, saying new words, or making friends. Share inspiring moments that highlight growth. These stories can motivate others and shift negative connotations about autism.

Focus on strengths such as creativity, problem-solving, or unique talents. Avoid posts that centre on struggles or frustrations. This approach respects the child’s dignity while raising awareness positively.

Respecting a child’s dignity in posts

Avoid sharing content that highlights a child’s struggles or moments of distress. Focus on their strengths and achievements instead. This approach promotes positive representation without breaching personal boundaries.

Use pseudonyms or blur faces in photos to protect identity. Small efforts like these can safeguard dignity while still sharing stories responsibly.

Using pseudonyms or blurring faces in images

Using pseudonyms protects a child’s identity. It hides their real name and makes it harder to link the content back to them. This is a simple way for parents to share stories without oversharing personal details.

Blurring faces in photos or videos gives extra privacy. Many free tools online can do this quickly. It reduces the risk of misuse or exploitation of shared images on platforms like TikTok and YouTube while keeping memories intact.

Privacy features offered by platforms

Platforms offer tools to protect privacy. Facebook lets parents adjust who can see posts with options like “friends only” or custom groups. Instagram provides private accounts, allowing only approved followers to view content.

TikTok has settings to filter comments and limit downloads of videos. YouTube allows you to publish videos that are unlisted, allowing you to share the link with friends and family only —useful for safeguarding children’s content. These features help reduce the risks of oversharing personal information online.

Building Awareness without Compromising Privacy

Partnering with advocacy groups

Advocacy groups can help spread autism awareness while protecting children’s privacy. These organisations often have resources to educate the public about autism without using personal details. They organise events, promote online safety, and guide parents on ethical sharing.

Parents working with advocacy groups can share general insights about autism instead of private family matters. This approach raises awareness but respects the child’s dignity. Some groups also support parents by providing legal advice and public-health-based solutions to avoid potential risks tied to oversharing online.

Focus on broad autism topics. Share facts about sensory differences or communication styles. Talk about public health reforms that could help autistic people thrive. Highlight research, like a pilot study on learning methods or therapy benefits.

Avoid sharing detailed personal stories or photos of children online. You can still educate others by using anonymous examples or literature reviews. This approach keeps your child’s privacy intact while raising awareness effectively.

Promoting awareness campaigns offline

Hosting local events can raise awareness about autism. Organise workshops, school talks, or community sessions to educate people. Collaborate with advocacy groups for better outreach.

Create flyers or posters with simple facts about autism. Share them in libraries, cafes, and schools. A public-health-based model of reform works well offline too!

Conclusion

Remember – it’s never your childs job to raise awareness of a disability. The best thing is to avoid sharing photos and personal details of your children and opt for groups that allow you to remain anonymous and protect your childs privacy and dignity.