Commercial Sharenting and Digital Responsibility: How Brands and Influencers Normalize Children’s Online Exposure
(A2026-133962)

AUTHORS

PAULA RODR�GUEZ-TORRICO, Universidad de Burgos; Marta Nieto-García, Universidad de Salamanca/University of Portsmouth; Jana Prodanova, Universidad de Burgos

ABSTRACT

Sharenting, the practice of exposing children on social media, has become increasingly commercialised through influencer–brand collaborations. Despite existing contractual frameworks, digital responsibility remains largely overlooked, leading to children’s systematic overexposure online. This study adopts an exploratory qualitative design, conducting in-depth interviews with an anti-sharenting activist, an influencer marketing expert and a former influencer to examine how brands and influencers contribute to the normalization of sharenting. Findings reveal that economic motivations, social validation and regulatory gaps drive the persistence of the practice, while brands and agencies often neglect ethical oversight. The study highlights the urgent need for clearer regulation, ethical standards, and awareness campaigns to support digital responsibility and protect children’s rights in influencer marketing.