It used to be that friends and family exchanged stories about their children at get-togethers. The children being talked about were often there and could say, “Oh, Mom!” or “Oh, Dad!” and everyone would laugh. And, after the party, the child could yell at their mother or father and discuss how they felt about the story that was shared.

Now, stories about children, information about children, and images of children are shared by parents all the time—and without the child’s awareness. It’s done online and for various reasons. Sometimes the child looks adorable or has accomplished something. Sometimes the parents want to share information about their child’s ongoing development; sometimes the parent is looking for support because some aspect of their parenting is difficult. And sometimes parents share to meet their own needs for gratification—to see how many other people think their child is cute or to see how much support they can get for themselves. And, regardless of parental motivation, the audience includes not only friends and family but often strangers with varying agendas of their own.

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