Three out of four parents share photos of their children on social media

Three out of four parents in Norway share photos and videos of their children on social media. The children have the right to privacy, says UNICEF, who is behind the investigation.

“We are not looking to target the individual parent who proudly presents pictures of their children, but we would like to point out that the parental responsibility also lies in safeguarding children’s right to privacy and protection online,” says UNICEF Norway Secretary General Camilla Viken.

The survey, conducted by Respons Analyse on behalf of UNICEF, shows that most people share from one to ten photos of their children over the course of a month, while 10 per cent say they share once a week or more often.

This means that, on average, a child in Norway will have 1,165 pictures of themselves on the internet before they are twelve years old.

44 per cent of those surveyed believe that the number of photos and videos of children should be limited, and a full 58 per cent say they are concerned about the development.

“We don’t want to stop photo sharing completely, but we want people to think twice before publishing, and to ask their kids for permission,” says Viken.

The survey shows that 52 per cent already ask the children if it’s okay to post a picture.

The photos are shared mainly on Facebook and Snapchat (62 per cent and 61 per cent respectively), while 43 per cent share on Instagram.

Of those who do not share pictures of their children at all, 62 per cent state that it is concern for children’s privacy that is the main reason.

© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today