Thinkstock Images

Thinkstock Images

Parents from Shanghai to Chicago are proudly putting pictures of their children on social media.

It might be taken for granted – but no previous generation of children will have had the experience of having their entire childhoods intensively and publicly documented in this way.

Stories about online privacy are often about children and teenagers being warned of the dangers of publishing too much personal information online. But in this case it’s their parents who are in the spotlight.

“Parents are very careful of saying to their kids, think about what you’re putting online,” said Justine Roberts, founder and chief executive of the parenting website Mumsnet.

“I think the [idea that] actually you’re posting about someone else, is less discussed on Mumsnet.

“I think it’s because parents are thinking, they’re not going to put deeply revealing or difficult pictures of their children up. Nonetheless, they’re still putting pictures out there.”

– Kaye Wiggins

Read more: Should children ban their parents from social media?