The capillary phenomenon of sharenting

DOI: https://doi.org/10.35765/mjse.2025.1428.19
Keywords: sharenting, parenting roles, identity, relationships, publication practices

Abstract

Research objectives (aims) and problem(s): This paper explores the phenomenon of sharenting—the widespread practice of parents sharing images and information about their children on social media—as an emerging area of interest in the educational sciences. The aim of the study is to critically analyze this practice from pedagogical, ethical, and socio-philosophical perspectives, with particular attention to its implications for child protection, identity formation, and educational responsibility in digital environments.

Research methods: The study employs a theoretical and argumentative methodology, using an interdisciplinary qualitative approach based on a review of academic, philosophical, and legal literature. The analysis draws on philosophical (Sartre, Foucault), pedagogical (Mortari, Rousseau), sociological (Bauman, Giddens), and media theory (Watzlawick, Barile) frameworks, as well as relevant legal and institutional sources.

Process of argumentation: The argument proceeds by first defining sharenting, then examining parental responsibility in the digital era, and finally presenting a pedagogical proposal rooted in an ethics of care, critical awareness, and the cultivation of digital citizenship.

Research findings and their impact on the development of educational sciences: The contribution of the study is the formulation of an educational vision that acknowledges the need to support digital parenting through reflective, dialogic, and child-centered practices. Implications for the educational sciences include the urgent need to develop training models and pedagogical tools that equip teachers, educators, and parents to address the challenges of online communication. Such efforts should incorporate media literacy and relational ethics into curricula and educational practice.

Conclusions and/or recommendations: Sharenting is not simply a communication trend but a crucial arena for rethinking educational practice in contemporary society. It raises fundamental questions about visibility, identity, and responsibility that demand pedagogical and ethical consideration.

References

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Batini, F. (2017). Narrazione e sviluppo del sé [Narration and self-development]. FrancoAngeli.

Bauman, Z. (2003). Intervista sull’identità [Interview on identity]. Laterza.

Codeluppi, V. (2007). La vetrinizzazione sociale: Il processo di spettacolarizzazione degli individui e della società [Social vitrification: The process of turning individuals and society into a spectacle]. Bollati Boringhieri.

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Giddens, A. (1999). Runaway world: How globalisation is reshaping our lives. Il Mulino.

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Mortari, L. (2006). La pratica dell’aver cura in educazione [The practice of caring in education]. Carocci.

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Sartre, J.-P. (1946). Existentialism is a humanism [Egzystencjalizm jest humanizmem]. Nagel.

Watzlawick, P., Helmick Beavin, J., & Jackson, D. D. (1967). Pragmatica della comunicazione umana [Pragmatics of human communication]. Astrolabio.

Online sources

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Published
2025-12-31
How to Cite
Rubini, A. (2025). The capillary phenomenon of sharenting. Multidisciplinary Journal of School Education, 14(2 (28), 341-354. https://doi.org/10.35765/mjse.2025.1428.19
Issue
Vol. 14 No. 2 (28) (2025): Family and School: Educational Partnership
Section
Thematic Articles

Copyright (c) 2025 Antonia Rubini

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