Experts are raising the alarm about the new generation of "sharents" - parents who are too willing to share personal information about their children on-line, information that could come back to haunt their child later in life.

The Daily Mail is reporting on a University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital Poll on Children’s Health which found that nearly three quarters of parents say they discuss their children and parenting issues on social media because it makes them feel less alone. However, this new generation of “sharents” needs to be more mindful of exactly what they’re posting online because these seemingly innocent images could prove embarrassing to their children later in life as well as lead to privacy and security problems.

According to the Poll, nearly 70 percent of parents say they’re using social media to get advice from other parents with 62 percent of them saying it helped them worry less.

But on the other hand, many parents are also concerned about what kind of consequences this sharing may bring upon their children.

Their concerns are justified. The trend toward “sharenting” is what created a new phenomenon known as “digital kidnapping” in which people “steal” photos of other people’s children and share them online as if they were their own.

In addition, some of those cute baby pictures have been known to become the target of cruel on-line jokes and even cyber-bullying later in the child’s life.

And what parent would want to see their child’s photo on a recent Facebook page that made fun of “ugly” babies?

Sharing the joys and challenges of parenthood online has become a social norm, but not without peril, says Sarah Clark, M.P.H., associate director of the National Poll and associate research scientist in the University of Michigan Department of Pediatrics.

“By the time children are old enough to use social media themselves many already have a digital identity created for them by their parents,” Clark says.

“These networks bring parents together in ways that weren't possible before, allowing them to commiserate, trade tips and advice, share pride for milestones and reassure one another that they're not alone; however, there's potential for the line between sharing and oversharing to get blurred. Parents may share information that their child finds embarrassing or too personal when they're older but once it's out there, it's hard to undo. The child won't have much control over where it ends up or who sees it.”

Clark is advising parents to remember that they are responsible for their child’s privacy “and need to be thoughtful about how much they share on social media so they can enjoy the benefits of camaraderie but also protect their children's privacy today and in the future.”

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