A recent Washington Post article explored the issue of "sharenting." Essentially, "sharenting" occurs when parents share (or overshare) the events of their children's lives through social media. It is a trend that appears to be sweeping the nation. The article points out that "A new national survey from the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital found that more than half of mothers and a third of fathers acknowledge that they share the ins and outs of raising their children online. We're talking everything from cute photos and anecdotes to pleas for help raising their little monsters." All of this exposure is not without a potential cost. The sharing, or over sharing, could be embarrassing to a child. Even more troubling, posting a child's photos, habits and whereabouts can presents security risks.
Presumably, when parents live together each has access to the other's social media pages and can agree on what should or should not be shared about their children. The same openness, dialogue and agreement may not be possible for separated or divorce parents. If parents cannot agree on how much sharing is appropriate will the Court be called on to address "sharenting" in custody or visitation orders? Only time will tell.
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