Pride, Memories and Likes: Why Do Parents Share Their Kids' Moments on Social Media?

The "Growing up online" research conducted by Kaspersky in the Middle East, Turkey and Africa (META) region, which includes Turkey, reveals that 52% of parents in Turkey regularly share photos, videos or updates of their children on social media platforms. 

While family-themed content remains popular on social media, privacy settings and the motivations behind these shares show remarkable differences.

The research shows that 82% of parents who share in Turkey limit the visibility of the content to their friends, friends of friends or followers. However, 18% of parents participating in the survey keep their accounts fully open, paving the way for these contents to be accessible to everyone on the internet.

In addition, the main reason why parents share content about their children in Turkey is to collect memories with 58%, followed by pride in their children's achievements with 26%. The role of social influence in sharing is also significant: 26% of parents admit that they share "because others do it", while 13% state that they share because they like how they look in photos or videos. In addition, 7% of the participants admit that they share content about their children in order to increase their number of followers or like rates, believing that such posts bring more interaction.

Another remarkable data is about the permission processes: Although 59% of parents say that they get permission from their children before publishing content about their children, one in every five parents (20%) admit that they share regardless of whether the child approves or not.

Kaspersky Middle East, Turkey and Africa Consumer Channels. Director Seifallah Jedidi says: "It can be difficult for parents to distinguish between an innocent post and content that could unintentionally compromise a child's safety. What is a proud family moment today could become a permanent digital footprint tomorrow. So it's critical to rethink the impulse to share, especially when the motivation is popularity or engagement. Online attention is temporary, but the risks can be long-term."

Parents about their children when they overshare on the internet (sharenting); can unknowingly disclose sensitive information such as full names, dates of birth, school locations or daily routines. This information can be misused for identity theft, social engineering, fraud, and even physical security risks. Public photos and videos may be maliciously altered or redistributed without consent; This can lead to long-term digital footprint problems and loss of reputation.

Kaspersky offers the following recommendations to protect children's data and share safely:

• Limit Access: Set the visibility of your social media accounts to "friends" only and be sure to add only people you know personally to your friends list. Don't neglect basic security measures like two-factor authentication and a strong password.
• Avoid Sensitive Information: Never share potentially damaging details, such as your child's contact information, school name or location.
• Communicate Openly: Talk to your children about digital hygiene and online safety; Develop a trusting relationship.Be a role model for them by displaying responsible and conscious behavior on social media.
• Take Advantage of Technology: Consider using a reliable security solution, such as Kaspersky Premium, which includes the Safe Kids module, which helps protect your family and private data as well as keeping your children safe in the digital world and beyond.

About Kaspersky
Kaspersky is a global cybersecurity and digital privacy company founded in 1997. Having protected more than a billion devices to date against emerging cyber threats and targeted attacks, Kaspersky's deep threat intelligence and security expertise continually translates into innovative solutions and services to protect individuals, businesses, critical infrastructures and governments around the world. The company's comprehensive security portfolio includes leading digital life protection for personal devices, specialized security products and services for enterprises, as well as Cyber ​​Immune solutions to combat sophisticated and evolving digital threats. We help millions of individuals and nearly 200,000 business customers protect what matters most to them. Learn more at www.kaspersky.com.