ABSTRACT: Sharenting which in this study is viewed as an evolving social media practice of sharing personal information of the child on social media spaces by parent(s) or guardian(s) is gaining increasing gratifications among African social media users. However, critics have argued that in spite of any justification or gratifications derivable from sharenting, that it largely translate to ignorance- ridden breach of the child’s right to privacy, dignity and reputation. Consequently, the study aimed at: determineing the level of knowledge in social media use among parents in Ebonyi State,ascertaining the extent to which parents engage in social media sharentingin Ebonyi State determining the major gratifications that parents in Ebonyi State get from sharenting and ascertaining the extent to which parents in Ebonyi State know that sharenting violates a child’s right to privacy. Survey research design was adopted for the study. Consequently, a sample size of 398 adult respondents was drawn through the use of online Australian calculator from the projected 2,917,479 adult population of Ebonyi State as at 2022. 385 copies of the questionnaire distributed were validly filled and retrieved. The findings of the study suggest that: majority (84%) of the parents in Ebonyi State, Nigeria admitted that they have knowledge of social media use, majority of them (97%%) also admitted that they engage is sharenting, 65% of them said that they sharent for the purpose of showing love to the child and as well, express gratitude to God for the gift of the child and more than half of the them cannot explain if sharenting violates the child’s rights including right to privacy. We therefore, recommended that: Ebonyi State Ministry of Education in conjunction with Ministry of Justice should embark on school to school sensitization of pupils and secondary school students on the dangers of sharenting and Governments in Ebonyiand relevant security agencies should seek intervention of churches, opinion leaders to mobilise parents across the state against irresponsible sharenting.
Keywords: Sharenting, African, Social Media, Culture, Child Rights.