Peer-reviewed article
The Clinician-Parent Paradox in Sharenting: Professional Responsibility, Parental Autonomy, and Children's Digital Vulnerability.
Aydin Ayva D, Uysal M ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This paper examines sharenting—parents sharing children's images and data on social media—and identifies a paradox where healthcare professionals who advise families about digital risks may themselves engage in risky sharenting practices. The authors suggest that professionals may feel a false sense of control over online risks due to their expertise, which they call a 'digital credibility shield.' The paper explores ethical tensions between parental autonomy, professional responsibility, and children's right to privacy and their future.
Key points
- Sharenting involves parents sharing children's personal data and images online, raising concerns about privacy, safety, and psychological well-being
- Healthcare professionals often guide families on digital risks but may not apply the same caution to their own sharenting practices
- The 'digital credibility shield' concept describes how professional identity may create a false sense of control and reduce perceived risk in personal digital behaviour
- The paradox reflects tension between expertise and everyday practice in digital environments
- The issue raises ethical questions about autonomy, professional responsibility, and children's right to an open future
Limitations
This is a conceptual paper that does not present empirical data or evidence from research studies. It cannot tell us the actual prevalence of sharenting among healthcare professionals, the specific harms experienced by children, or effective interventions to address this practice.
Abstract
Sharenting-the practice of parents sharing children's personal data and images on digital platforms-has become increasingly normalized, raising concerns about privacy, safety, and psychological well-being. While existing literature emphasizes the role of healthcare professionals in guiding families on digital risks, less attention has been paid to how clinicians themselves navigate these practices as parents. This paper introduces the concept of the "clinician-parent paradox in sharenting," describing situations in which professional guidance on children's digital safety coexists with personal online practices that may contribute to children's digital exposure. We further propose the notion of a "digital credibility shield," whereby professional identity may generate a perceived sense of control and attenuate risk perception in personal digital behaviour. Drawing on ethical considerations related to autonomy, professional responsibility, and the child's right to an open future, we argue that this paradox reflects a broader tension between expertise and everyday practice in digital environments. Conceptualizing this phenomenon may support ethical self-reflection among healthcare professionals and provide a foundation for future empirical and normative research on digital parenting in clinical contexts.