Children may face increased risks of harassment, cyberbullying, and identity theft later in life as a result of parents sharing their photos online, according to recent research. The practice known as "sharenting"—the documentation of children's lives and milestones on social media—has become increasingly common. However, scholars now warn that this seemingly harmless activity may carry significant and long-term consequences for children's safety and privacy. Researchers at the University of Southampton found that widespread online sharing can heighten children's vulnerability to cybercrime. Drawing on a survey of more than 1,000 parents in the United Kingdom, followed by in-depth interviews, the study revealed that 45% of parents actively post images of their children online, while approximately one in six reported that their child had already experienced some form of online harm. According to Rani Govender, online child safety policy manager at the NSPCC, the findings underscore the seriousness of the issue. She noted that sharing children's photos or videos at scale can compromise their safety, privacy, and overall wellbeing. In particular, images posted online may unintentionally expose sensitive personal details—such as birthdays, home locations, or pet names—which could later facilitate identity fraud. Lead researcher Pamela Ugwudike described sharenting as "a real and present danger" to children. While parents often share images out of pride or affection, she argued that such actions may unknowingly expose children to risks both online and offline. Once images circulate on social media, strangers may gather information that allows them to contact or track children, with potential consequences extending far into the future. The issue of sharenting has long generated debate, especially regarding children's right to privacy. Public discussion intensified in 2019 when actor Gwyneth Paltrow posted a photograph with her daughter Apple on Instagram, prompting the child to publicly object to the image being shared without her consent. Such incidents highlight a broader concern identified in the research: many parents remain unfamiliar with how social media privacy settings actually function. The study found that parents, relatives, caregivers, and even schools frequently overestimate the protection offered by "private" accounts. As Govender explained, features such as tagging, resharing, or screenshots can easily override privacy controls, allowing images to circulate far beyond their intended audience. Beyond privacy concerns, experts warn that emerging technologies introduce new and alarming risks. The Internet Watch Foundation（IWF）reported that criminals have begun using artificial intelligence image generators to create highly realistic sexualized images of children based on only a few ordinary, non-sexual photographs. Kerry Smith, head of the IWF, cautioned that such AI-generated content could enable new forms of abuse, including sexual extortion and blackmail. Because AI imagery has become increasingly lifelike and difficult to distinguish from real photographs, she warned that the dangers associated with sharenting now extend into an evolving digital landscape where technological misuse amplifies existing threats.