Sharenting as Multilevel Privacy Negotiations: A Communication Privacy Management Theory Perspective

Sharenting implies parents sharing personal information of their child online, therefore, making decisions that impact their child’s privacy. This chapter applies the Communication Privacy Management (CPM) theory to parents’ sharenting practices. CPM explains how people regulate revealing or concealing personal information. In the context of sharenting, multiple levels of decision-making occur, involving parents, children, and sometimes grandparents and other relatives or acquaintances who co-own the personal information of the (grand)child. Therefore, the chapter explores this group-level aspect of privacy, where families and other contacts must balance sharing personal information about the child and protecting the child’s privacy and security. The chapter concludes by emphasising the importance of mindful sharenting, where parents consider the potential impacts on their children's privacy and employ strategies to minimise risks.