Growing Up Shared

June 1, 2020
Steinberg, an Emory law professor and mother of three, offers a helpful guide for parents looking for help navigating the power and perils of online sharing. She emphasizes that social media has many benefits, as it gives users “the space to express, the network to connect, and the power to greatly impact our world,” but also cautions that parents need to balance their own desire to share with their children’s right to and need for privacy. To evaluate how digital connectivity transforms parenting, Steinberg met with pediatricians, mental health professionals, and cybersecurity experts, as well as families. In addition to pointing out risks like image and identity theft, she provides a set of sensible “best practices” including becoming familiar with the privacy policies of the social platforms one uses, setting notifications for when a child’s name appears in a Google search, only sharing content on Facebook groups that aren’t open to the public, being cautious about revealing a kid’s location, and giving children the option to opt out of being included in posts. This thoughtful handbook will resonate with modern parents and provide them with actionable items for more safely and thoughtfully using social media. Agent: Stacey Glick, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret.