Media Feature: The Sunday Times Connect – Share With Care (March 2013)

In March 2013, I had the privilege of being featured in The Straits Times for a piece titled “Share With Care”—a timely exploration of the rising trend of “sharenting.” This followed my panelist appearance at Social Media Week Singapore, where we tackled the theme “Growing Up on Facebook.”

The discussion raised a poignant and pressing question:
Are we parents hijacking our children’s privacy before they’re old enough to understand what privacy even is?

What is Sharenting?

Sharenting is a term coined in the U.S. to describe parents who frequently share information about their children online—on Facebook, Instagram, blogs, or Twitter. Birth stories, baby milestones, toddler tantrums, cute quotes, school achievements—it all goes online, often with pride and love, but not always with foresight.

Some experts estimate that by age five, a child could already have over 1,000 images of themselves posted by their parents. This digital archive may seem harmless, but it’s also permanent and searchable, forming a digital footprint they never consented to.

An 8-Year-Old’s Perspective

What made this media feature particularly memorable was that it marked the first time my son and I shared the same media space and were interviewed together. It was a meaningful experience, not just as a parent speaking on the issue of sharenting, but as a mother hearing her child’s voice included in the conversation.

In the words of reporter Eve Yap, he was “quite mature for his age.” Hearing that as a parent was both heartwarming and affirming. It reminded me that our kids are more aware than we sometimes give them credit for—and they deserve to have a say in how they are portrayed online.

My son Krysh, eight, offered a very honest opinion on this.

“I don’t need the whole world to know,” he told me one evening when I recounted a funny story he’d been part of—one I would’ve casually posted a few years ago.

That comment stayed with me. What I thought was a humorous parenting anecdote, he experienced as embarrassment. His feedback made me pause. It was a clear reminder: these stories are not just mine to tell anymore.

From Parental Pride to Digital Mindfulness

Most of us share out of love. We’re excited. We want to record milestones and share joyful moments with friends and family. But as our children grow, their right to shape their identity becomes just as important as our instinct to document.

That shift is why I’ve become more intentional about what I share:

• I ask for their consent before posting.

• I avoid sharing real-time locations, daily schedules, or sensitive information that may compromise their safety.

• I choose to share stories from my point of view, focusing on my parenting journey rather than broadcasting their private moments.

This isn’t about censorship—it’s about respect and responsibility.

What Happens When Our Kids Grow Up?

During the Social Media Week panel, one audience member asked:

“What if our children want to become public figures? Politicians? Celebrities? How will years of over-sharing affect their future?”

It’s a legitimate concern. Employers, universities, and even peers may one day access the digital trail we leave behind for them. And while some information may add warmth or relatability, other details could be perceived as unprofessional or invasive.

Roshni Mahtani, founder of Tickled Media, suggested that seeing a human side on Facebook can sometimes help an employer connect with a candidate. But shouldn’t that choice belong to the candidate, not their parents?

Different Views, Shared Intentions

At the panel, I sat alongside Kelvin Ang, a well-known daddy blogger from Cheekiemonkie. Kelvin is more relaxed about sharenting, treating his blog as a kind of digital scrapbook for his children, one they enjoy reading together. He, too, discusses what he posts with his kids.

Our approaches differ, but our intentions align: we both want to protect our children while celebrating them.

Final Thoughts: Sharenting with Awareness

As parents in the digital age, we walk a new path—one our own parents never had to tread. Social media connects us, but it also records us. We need to consider how that affects the next generation.

The internet is forever, so let’s be thoughtful about what we leave behind on our children’s behalf.

Next time you’re about to hit “post,” pause and ask yourself:
Would my child be okay with this five years from now?

Better yet, ask them directly.

Let’s move from sharenting to sharing responsibly—with consent, with care, and with a long-term view.
Want to dive deeper? Read more on this topic at Universal Scribbles.

Let’s protect our kids online—not just from the outside world, but sometimes from our own best intentions.

Share your thoughts and comments below.