Sharenting: Posting Kids on Social Media

By Chris Clark, founder of Senior Tech Cafe

Sharenting means posting photos and details about your kids online, and grandparents do it too. Every picture of a grandchild you post adds to a public record they didn’t choose, and it can hand strangers their name, face, school and weekly schedule.

Remember when showing off photos of your grandkids meant pulling out a wallet so packed with pictures it could double as a brick? After a while, the photos got so worn that little Jimmy’s face looked like it had been through the washing machine a few times.

Those days are long gone. Now we’re all photographers. With one tap, you can share a masterpiece of your grandbaby’s spaghetti-covered face with the entire internet.

Here’s some advice, though: just because you can post those adorable photos on social media doesn’t mean you should.

The Rise of “Grand-Sharenting”

Grandparents should post photos of their grandkids only with the parents’ OK, and even then, sparingly and privately. Sharenting, when parents post about their kids on social media, has become part of modern parenting, and grandparents have joined in with gusto. Some people call it “grand-sharenting”.

The problem? Not all parents are on board. Many grew up online and have seen what oversharing can lead to, so the rules in their house may be stricter than yours. That can feel like a generation gap.

Here’s the golden rule: when it comes to posting pictures of your grandkids, the parents’ wishes come first. Always.

But even if your kids don’t give a hoot, it’s worth thinking twice before sharing those grandkid pics online.

None of these means you can never share a photo again. They’re the reasons to share fewer, share privately and leave out the details strangers can use.

1. Photos Can Be Used for Identity Theft

Remember how carefully you used to guard your Social Security card?

Today’s criminals can piece together a child’s identity from innocent-looking posts. That cute “Happy 5th Birthday” announcement with your grandchild’s full name gives away two of the details an identity thief needs. And because kids don’t check their credit, theft in a child’s name can go unnoticed for years.

It’s like leaving the key under the doormat for identity thieves.

2. Your Photos Might End up in Unexpected Places

The pictures you share don’t just stay on Facebook. They can be downloaded, saved and passed around faster than you can say “cheese.”

And unlike that embarrassing photo of you from the ’70s that’s safely hidden in a shoe box, online photos can pop up years later in places you’d never expect, or want.

3. Location Data Is a Hidden Hitchhiker

Modern digital photos are like tiny spies. The file can carry hidden information about where and when it was taken, especially when it’s sent as an attachment or shared from an album. Here’s how to remove the location from your photos before they go anywhere.

The picture itself can give away even more. A school logo on a sweatshirt, a team name on a jersey, a house number behind the swing set: post a picture from your grandkid’s soccer game, and you might be advertising their weekly schedule to strangers, complete with the address.

4. AI Is Getting Scary Good

Remember when photo editing meant scissors and glue? Today’s artificial intelligence can do things with photos that would make your head spin.

The FBI has warned that criminals take ordinary photos and videos from social media and use AI to turn them into fake explicit images, and that the victims include children. Voice cloning works the same way: the FTC says a scammer needs only a short clip of a family member’s voice, which he can get from videos posted online, to fake a phone call. That’s the raw material for the grandparent scam, and it’s why it pays to verify an urgent call from a grandkid before you send a cent.

The best way to stop people and AI from misusing those images is not to give them the “raw materials” in the first place.

5. You’re Creating a Digital Paper Trail

6. Privacy Settings Aren’t Foolproof

Think setting a post to Friends keeps it private? That’s about as reliable as thinking your teenager won’t raid the cookie jar.

Friends can share, screenshots can be taken, and privacy policies change more often than your grandson changes his favorite superhero. Once that image is out there, you lose control over where it ends up.

7. Future Impact Is Unpredictable

Digital Photo Frames

Digital frames are a good way to share photos privately. Parents can send new pictures straight to the frame, keeping you up to date without posting anything publicly. It’s a personalized slideshow of your grandkids, right in your living room.

Brag Books

Remember those little photo albums you could carry in your purse? They’re still around. Fill one with your favorite snapshots and whip it out whenever someone asks about the grandkids.

Bonus: nobody can leave a rude comment on a physical photo.

Private Albums

Google Photos and Apple’s iCloud both let you create shared albums for just the family. It’s a great way to keep everyone in the loop without oversharing.

The catch is in how you share. Invite family members by name, and turn off link sharing in Google Photos or the Public Website option in iCloud. Otherwise anyone who gets hold of the album’s address can see it.

Put Your Grandkids’ Well-Being First

Not being able to share photos online can feel disappointing. You might even feel a little jealous when other grandparents post pictures of theirs. That’s normal.

But respecting the parents’ wishes, or recognizing the risks on your own, shows that you’re putting your grandkids’ well-being first. And a camera roll that’s just for the family is still a gallery of memories. It just doesn’t come with strangers.

Go Ahead and Brag… Just Keep Privacy in Mind

Being a grandparent is one of life’s great joys, and it’s tempting to share that joy with the world. Ask the parents first, share privately when you can, and leave out names, schools and locations when you do post.

For more ways to keep the whole family safe online, start with our online safety guide for seniors.

So go ahead, brag about them. And trust me on this: they’re just as adorable in a brag book as they are on Instagram.

Questions About Sharenting

What Is Sharenting?

Sharenting is posting photos, videos and details about your children on social media. The word blends “sharing” and “parenting”, and grandparents who do the same with their grandkids are sometimes called grand-sharenting. The worry isn’t the pride behind it; it’s that each post adds to a public record the child never chose.

Is It OK to Post My Grandkids’ Photos If Their Parents Say Yes?

Yes, the parents’ OK is what matters most. Even then, keep the account private, leave out full names, birthdays, school names and locations, and skip anything embarrassing, like bath-time photos. A good test: would your grandchild be happy to find this picture online when they’re 16? If not, keep it in the family album.

A private shared album is the easiest option. Google Photos and Apple’s iCloud both let you share an album with people you invite. Invite family by name and turn off any public link or public website option, so the photos stay with the people you chose instead of anyone who gets hold of the address.

What Details Should Never Be in a Child’s Photo Online?

Leave out anything that tells a stranger where to find the child or how to pass as someone who knows them: full name, birthday, school name or logo, team jersey, house number, street signs and real-time locations. Those details help identity thieves and give scammers convincing material for a fake family emergency call.

Sharenting: 7 Reasons Not to Post Your Grandkids’ Photos (Even the Cute Ones)