Why more parents are moving away from 'sharenting'

My name is Julie and I’m guilty of ‘sharenting’.

I came across this term for the first time this week, in a press release about parents sharing photographs of children online.

Like many of my friends and family I’ve shared many first-day-of-school photographs on one particular site I use as a personal diary of events, and as a way of keeping other people up-to-date with our news.

I enjoy the process and the contact it creates with people I know, and I love seeing my contacts doing the same. However, according to the University of Southampton, we are in the minority of people doing this now.

According to the university’s 2025 research, only 45 per cent of UK parents share photos or details about their children online, and the ‘sharenting’ press release from photo gifting brand Cusstom has given me pause for thought.

They say that instead of posting back to school photographs, many parents keep these images to themselves, and possibly the grandparents.

Cusstom spoke to psychotherapist and author Eloise Skinner about the shift away from ‘sharenting’, and when I read her thoughts, the mum guilt hit hard.

Stating why she thinks there has been a shift, Eloise said: "There might be enhanced privacy concerns in recent times due to technological developments, and a greater awareness of how images can be used online, for example, manipulation with AI.

"In general, there might also be a sense of growing overexposure of one's personal life online, as we shift away from oversharing and towards privacy and control of information."

She added: "As digital surveillance and observation becomes more pervasive, we might feel a greater desire to protect personal boundaries and enforce privacy. 

"As more people feel that many aspects of their lives and behaviours are visible, there might be a shift towards reclaiming some information or details to keep private."

I’ve always been an oversharer and although I’m starting to worry more about online safety, I fear I’ll always want to share photographs, and I enjoy seeing those shared by others.

Eloise, however, believes keeping photographs private can make them more meaningful.

"Moments that are kept private can often take on deeper significance, as they represent the close connection between people, and the desire to keep some information away from public view," she said.

"The act of choosing to print and display a photo can also give it a deeper sense of meaning, since the additional effort can demonstrate a sense of investment and commitment."

Eloise raises the question of what sharing photographs of children means for them growing up.

"It would depend on the individual child, but in general, keeping images private could allow the child to develop an independent sense of identity, rather than having it be shaped by the perspectives or reception of others," she explained.

"If a child's images are displayed online, with other people able to view and comment, it might be harder to reclaim a personal sense of self, and instead become more heavily influenced by other people's ideas of who that person is."

I’ve started asking my child if it’s okay to post pictures of them online and they almost always say yes. I also ask parents of friend’s children if it’s okay to post pictures of their youngsters and, again, the answer is mostly yes.

Julia Kindermann, Custtom Print Industry Expert & E-commerce Manager, encourages people to think about printing pictures and this is something I still do, alongside posting them online.

She says: "Not sharing online doesn't mean you shouldn't take the photo in the first place; it's still absolutely worth capturing and celebrating. It's just about keeping it somewhere safe and organised, whether that's a dedicated album on your phone or something physical, so your child can look back on it when they're older, and choose to share it themselves if and when they want to.

"There are other ways to mark the occasion too.

"One lovely thing is to create a gallery wall of milestones, or even each year's back-to-school photo, and add to it over time. You could do the same with a scrapbook, so your child can easily look back at key moments without them being online."

When I take a photograph now it’s stored in the cloud and I’ve no idea if that’s a safe space or not. I know I should, but I don’t. I also have no idea what to do in future when it comes to posting pictures online.

The NSPCC say images can be misused out of context or modified using AI, that children can be identified for grooming and abuse, and a vulnerable child could be identified by an existing abuser.

They also offer guidance to post safely and suggest reviewing online security settings, but is that enough? I hope so.

I applaud parents who implemented a ‘sharenting’ ban on themselves from the start, but I am saddened that we live in a world where you’ve had to...