The awareness of sharenting in Italy: a pilot study

Abstract

Abstract Background This pilot study examines the widespread phenomenon of “sharenting” and how it is perceived by parents. Given the increasing prevalence of this practice, the study aims to explore parental awareness of its potential risks and assess whether it is perceived as a form of child abuse, particularly regarding the violation of children’s privacy. While traditional forms of child abuse inflict direct harm on the child, sharenting can damage the child’s image and pose risks to their well-being, both in the present and the future. We evaluated the potential correlation between specific demographic characteristics and parents’ social media usage. The study aimed to assess the possibility of expanding the research by involving European pediatric societies to obtain comparable data and develop family education programs with the goal of limiting this phenomenon. It also emphasizes the important role that pediatricians and schools can play in these programs. Methods The study was designed using a survey model, one of the recognized quantitative research methods described in the literature and was conducted by the Pediatric Department of the University Hospital Campus Bio-Medico in Rome between November 2023 and January 2024. Results Data from this study indicate that gender, age, education level, number of children, and number of social media accounts were not associated with sharenting phenomenon and suggest that the frequency and the onset time of sharenting were the main influencing variables in the perception of sharenting phenomenon as neglect and abuse. Conclusions Preventive interventions, such as counseling and parental education, are essential to safeguard children’s well-being and prioritize their best interests, including their privacy and identity. Moreover, while the data from this study are limited, they underscore the importance of expanding data collection efforts across different countries. Establishing a comprehensive database could be beneficial for local and European governments in developing policies and educational programs aimed at mitigating potential risks associated with the improper exploitation of personal data, thus safeguarding children in both the short and long term.

Keywords

• Sharenting
• Children
• Neglect
• Abuse
• Privacy
• Digital identity