For several months, Cara has been working up the courage to approach her mom about what she saw on Instagram. Not long ago, the 11-year-old girl discovered that her mom had been posting her photos for much of her life. "I've wanted to bring it up. It's strange to see myself up there, and sometimes there are pictures I don't like of myself," she said.
Like most other modern kids, Cara grew up immersed in social media. While many kids may not yet have accounts themselves, their parents, schools, sports teams, and organizations have been organizing an online presence for them since birth. The shock of realizing that details about your life have been shared online without your permission or knowledge has become an important experience in the lives of many teenagers.
But it's not just crazy mommy bloggers who construct a child's online identity; plenty of average parents do the same. There's even a word for it: sharenting. A study found 92% of kids under the age of 2 already have their own unique digital identity.
Preschools and elementary schools often keep blogs or upload photos of kids to Instagram accounts and Facebook pages so that working parents can feel like a part of their kids' day. Sports scores are recorded online, which are important moments from after-school clubs.
Some legislatures are getting involved. In 2014, Europe's highest court ruled that Internet providers must give users the "right to be forgotten". Under the ruling, European citizens can demand to have past damaging information, including crimes committed as a minor, hidden from Google search results. And in France, strict privacy laws mean kids can accuse their own parents of publishing private details of their lives without permission. In the United States, however, teens aren't offered such protections, and many simply walk on eggshells.
Jaime Putnam, a mom in Georgia, said she has started to be more mindful of the fact that many of her kids' friends don't yet know how much information about themselves is out there. Recently she saw on social media that one of her child's friends got a puppy. She brought it up when she saw him, and he looked at her, horrified. He had no idea how she had learned that seemingly private information. "It made me realize these kids don't know what's being posted all the time, "she said. Now she's careful about what she reveals. "It feels like you're maybe crossing a line telling them everything you know about them.
