Let’s be real: the online world is a huge part of our kids’ lives these days. From the time they’re tiny, we share photos, moments, and milestones online—proud parent stuff! Schools, friends, and family all get involved too. Before we know it, our kids have a whole digital history they didn’t even know they were building. Unlike footprints at the beach, this trail never washes away.
That habit even has a name now: sharenting. It’s when parents share details of their child’s life online, often without realizing how public or permanent those posts can become.
Think of your child’s digital footprint as the trail they (and you) leave across the internet. It includes every photo, post, comment, and account, plus all the data quietly collected behind the scenes.
There are two sides to it:
- Active footprints: what you or your child share directly, such as photos, TikTok videos, usernames, or status updates. Even “private” posts can be screenshot or reshared.
- Passive footprints: what gets collected automatically. Cookies, location data, and app activity quietly build profiles of who your child is and what they do.
Both add up to a digital version of your child that can stick around for years.
For kids and teens, their online presence shapes how the world sees them—friends, teachers, even future employers. But it also creates risks:
- Cyberbullying: once something’s online, it can be copied or mocked.
- Future opportunities: colleges and jobs may see old posts that no longer reflect who they are.
- Safety concerns: oversharing locations or routines can make it easier for strangers to find or trick them.
- Identity theft: birthdates, school names, and addresses can help criminals create fake identities.
Practicing good digital hygiene keeps those risks small.
Kids leave hidden trails too
Kids don’t need social media accounts to leave data behind. Gaming platforms, smartwatches, school apps, and even voice assistants collect fragments of personal information.
That innocent photo from a class project might live in a public gallery. A leaderboard can display a real name or score history. Even nicknames or in-game chat can expose more than intended.
Help your kids check what’s visible publicly and what isn’t.
How sharenting can make it worse
Don’t worry, I’ve done some of these too! We love to share and celebrate our kids, but sometimes we give away more than we mean to:
- Posting full names, birthdays, and locations on open social media.
- Sharing photos with school logos, house numbers, or nearby landmarks visible.
- Leaving geotagging or location data on by accident (it’s scary how precise this can be).
- Talking about routines, worries, or personal struggles in public forums.
- Forgetting to clean up old posts as our kids get bigger.
And it’s easy to forget about all those apps we sign up to “just to try it”. They might be collecting info in the background, too.
Two real-life sharenting stories
Karen loves her son, Max. She posts his awards, soccer games, and milestones online, sometimes tagging the school or leaving her phone’s location on.
It’s innocent… until someone strings the details together. A fake gamer profile messages Max: “Hey, don’t you go to Graham Elementary? I saw your soccer pics!” Suddenly, a friendly chat feels personal and real.
Karen meant well, but her posts created a map for someone else to follow.
Then there’s the story we covered of a mother in Florida who picked up the phone to hear her daughter sobbing. She’d been in a car accident, hit a pregnant woman, and needed bail money right away. The voice sounded exactly like her child. Terrified, she followed the caller’s instructions and handed over $15,000. Only later did she learn her daughter had been safe at work the whole time. Scammers had used AI to clone her voice from a short online video. It’s a chilling reminder that even something as ordinary as a video or social post can become fuel for manipulation.
Simple steps parents can take
- Be a model: before you post, ask, “Would I be OK with a stranger seeing this?”
- Start young: teach privacy basics early and update as they grow.
- Lock it down: review privacy settings together on both your accounts.
- Use pseudonyms: encourage nicknames for games or public forums.
- Agree as a family: set boundaries for what’s OK to share.
- Turn off geotags: remove automatic location data from photos.
Know what to do if something goes wrong
Everyone messes up online sometimes. It happens to the best of us. We’ve all shared something we wish we hadn’t. The goal isn’t to scare our kids (or ourselves) away from the internet, but to help them feel confident, safe, and smart about it all.
If your child ever feels uncomfortable or gets into a sticky situation online:
- Stay calm and let them know you are safe to talk to.
- Keep record of any sketchy messages or harassment.
- Use blocking, reporting, and privacy tools.
- Loop in school counselors or other trusted adults if you need backup.
- If there’s a real threat or criminal activity, contact the proper authorities.
You’ve got this!
The online world is always changing, and honestly, we’re all learning as we go. But by staying curious, keeping the lines open, and setting a good example yourself, you’ll help your kids build a digital life they can be proud of.
Let’s look out for each other. If you’ve got thoughts or tips about sharenting and online safety, do share them with me. You can message me on Linkedin at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattburgess/. We’re all in this together.
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