Why ‘sharenting’ child pictures aids online predators

PROUD parents who share pictures of their children on social media could unintentionally be handing material to paedophiles, MPs were told yesterday

The innocent practice, dubbed ‘sharenting’, sees family photos posted on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram – including images such as a child in the bath.

But parents were warned that they may be helping predators by not having the correct privacy controls in place. Paedophiles may find the content and pass it on, said children’s charity Barnardo’s.

Experts outlined to MPs on the Science and Technology Committee the risks children were exposed to by social media.

Tory MP Damien Moore asked: ‘What about sharenting – where parents themselves are responsible?’ He added: ‘Criminals are downloading these pictures and images and using them for sexual content.’ Emily Cherry, of Barnardo’s, who gave evidence to MPs, later told the Daily Mail her message to parents was: ‘Think hard before you post an image. If it is an image that could be used in a sexualised nature you need to be asking questions. How would I feel and how would my child feel if it went into the wrong hands?’

She stressed: ‘You cannot parent a child these days without understanding the digital world,’

MPs on the committee were also told that allowing children to use tablets or phones before bedtime was like handing them a can of cola then demanding they go to sleep.

Dr Heather Woods, a lecturer in psychology at the University of Glasgow, warned parents: ‘Would you think about giving your 10-yearold a can of Coke an hour before bed? That just sounds silly. It’s the same thing. It’s a stimulant.’