Sharenting in 2026: Privacy, Consent, and Your Child’s Digital Footprint

In this solo episode, Sarah returns to one of the core pillars of Mom Uncharted, sharenting - the practice of sharing children’s lives online. In 2026, the risks look very different than they did even five years ago. With AI image manipulation, facial recognition, data harvesting, and permanent digital footprints, posting your child online isn’t just about connection - it’s about long-term consequences. Sarah breaks down the three core concerns: Privacy- Children deserve a childhood that isn’t permanently searchable. Informed Consent- Kids cannot meaningfully consent to a lifelong digital record. Digital Safety- From exploitation to identity theft, once content is public, control is lost. This episode isn’t about shame. It’s about awareness and the reminder that it’s never too late to change course. Connect with Sarah Adams: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://momuncharted.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/mom.uncharted/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@mom.uncharted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://parentsuncharted.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/parents.uncharted/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@parents.uncharted (0:00) What Is Sharenting? (3:20) Why Posting Kids Felt “Normal” (5:00) How Many Parents Share Their Kids? (7:18) The 3 Pillars: Privacy, Consent, Safety (10:00) It’s Not Too Late to Change (11:04) The Internet Is Forever   (13:37) Let Kids Own Their Digital Story (15:00) Exploitation, AI & The Dark Side of Virality (17:00) Kids, Cameras & Mental Health (18:30) Identity Theft & Your Child’s Data  (20:00) Questions Before You Post Your Kid (22:00) Rethinking What We Share About Kids Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices