Would you willingly expose your child to strangers in real life? Probably not. Yet millions of Filipino parents do it daily, unknowingly, online.
The urgency of this issue cannot be overstated, and we all must take immediate steps to protect our children’s digital privacy.
As someone raised in a culture deeply rooted in sharing life’s moments through photos and videos, I recently confronted a sobering question: Am I inadvertently jeopardizing my child’s safety and future by sharing their images online?
With 90.8 million active social media users in the Philippines as of January 2025, representing 78% of our population, the desire to share milestones and memories has become second nature. However, beneath this seemingly innocent act lies the hidden danger known as “sharenting,” or the oversharing of children’s lives on social media.
My awakening came during an ordinary Facebook scroll when a provocative social experiment by Deutsche Telekom caught my attention.
The campaign featured a digitally aged girl named Ella who traveled back through time, confronting her parents about the repercussions of posting her childhood photos online.
Ella’s distressing plea highlighted a stark reality: our seemingly harmless online posts can significantly compromise our children’s privacy, safety, and psychological well-being.
The perils of oversharing
While capturing joyful moments seems heartwarming, parents must grapple with the unsettling long-term risks associated with oversharing:
- Privacy breach: Information uploaded online is nearly impossible to control or retract. Malicious individuals can exploit this data for identity theft, scams, or worse.
- Future embarrassment: Shared content can lead to embarrassment or emotional distress as children grow older, impacting their self-esteem and social interactions.
- Predatory targeting: Detailed posts about children’s routines, schools, or whereabouts inadvertently equip predators with dangerous information.
- Loss of control: Uploaded images and videos become public domain and can be reshared, manipulated, or misused, stripping parents and children of control over their own digital footprints.
This chilling reality forced me to look differently at my two-year-old daughter, strengthening my resolve to protect her digital identity.
Fortunately, working in the SaaS industry, my husband and I have been acutely aware of data privacy concerns and have prioritized ethical digital practices. Unfortunately, many Filipino parents remain largely unaware of these serious threats, leaving their families vulnerable.
In the Philippine context, the risks intensify dramatically. Research conducted by the SaferKidsPH Programme, supported by UNICEF and Plan International, revealed alarming findings from Barangay 702, Manila.
It emphasized that poverty, widespread internet usage, cultural taboos, and entrenched gender norms significantly heighten Filipino children’s vulnerability to online sexual exploitation and abuse.
Social stigmas, victim-blaming, and reluctance to intervene in private family affairs further exacerbate this crisis, underscoring the urgency for broader community awareness and action.
Striking a critical balance
To responsibly navigate digital parenthood, consider these deliberate steps to safeguard children’s futures:
- Vigilantly manage privacy settings: Limit social media visibility strictly to trusted friends and family.
- Think critically before posting: Every shared photo or story has the potential to impact our children’s future. It’s essential to evaluate the necessity and implications of each post, exercising caution and foresight to avoid any potential long-term adverse effects.
- Avoid revealing personal information: Never disclose sensitive details like full names, birthdates, home addresses, or schools.
- Educate your child early: Foster early discussions about digital privacy, instilling responsible online behaviors from a young age.
- Use encrypted platforms: To share precious memories safely, utilize secure, encrypted messaging apps or private cloud storage solutions.
- Prioritize offline engagement: While digital experiences are valuable, it’s equally important to emphasize genuine offline experiences. These experiences build richer memories and provide a balance, ensuring our children are not constantly exposed to the digital world.
Inspired by these revelations and motivated by a vision of a safer, digitally empowered generation, I founded Bot Buddies last year. Our mission is rooted in the belief that collaboration between youth and parents can foster responsible, innovative, and safe technological use.
Through interactive campaigns and practical workshops, Bot Buddies equips Filipino families with tools to safely navigate digital spaces, addressing critical issues highlighted by the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025.
This report underscores imminent global shifts driven by technological change, geo-economic fragmentation, demographic transitions, and green innovations, profoundly reshaping our children’s future labor market.
Preparing today’s youth responsibly ensures they are equipped to thrive and innovate amidst these transformative challenges.
As Filipinos, our deep-rooted values of family, interconnectedness, and community compel us to reassess our sharing practices critically. Our responsibility is to build safer digital spaces and protect our children’s futures. Let us thoughtfully cherish memories, safeguarding not just the dignity and innocence but the secure, thriving futures of our greatest treasures — our children. – Rappler.com
Kristine Cerva-Romano is a mom, founder of Bot Buddies, and tech advocate who champions early tech education and online safety.
Bot Buddies is a tech-loving community where kids and parents collaborate to learn, build, and play with technology, transforming curiosity into creation. With a strong focus on online safety and digital awareness, Bot Buddies empowers families to explore tech responsibly and confidently.