Most parents are aware of the things online that threaten their children’s safety: predators, bullying, harmful content, or simply the pressure to be accepted and be ‘perfect’, which social media is so good at fostering. We might discuss various facets of online safety and take steps to protect or curtail kids’ online activity, but what if we, the parents, are the ones causing harm?
In her 2020 book Sharenthood: Why We Should Think Before We Talk About Our Kids Online, Leah Plunkett points out that from the moment they’re born (and sometimes even before that), children of today will have the most information collected about them in the history of humanity.
Consider this: A child’s digital life may begin with the tracking of their mother’s fertility. As has been publicised widely after the rolling back of abortion rights in the US, the privacy around fertility data apps is sketchy at best. This may be followed by an ultrasound image on Facebook with the caption ‘We’re pregnant!’ Next come images tracking a growing belly, a genderreveal party, and an announcement of the birth, accompanied by a hospital
