Why is There a Picture of Me on Snapchat?: Educational Approaches to Overposting

Social media platforms have transformed how students and educators “share” information about school experiences. In this paper, we translate Leah Plunkett’s sharenting concept (a portmanteau of share and parent) to address the phenomenon of overposting in education. Overposting (a portmanteau of overreach and post) designates the digital distribution of information about others that is invasive, harmful, exploitative, or illegal. We describe instances where students or teachers post about others on social media in ways that are illegal, invasive, harmful, or exploitative. Examples of overposting range from cyberbullying to sharing photos or videos of others’ without their permission, including from school accounts. We conclude by offering an educational approach to address overposting through education, conversation, and negotiation among students, teachers, and administrators.