218. Why Do Parents Overshare on Social Media?

No Stupid Questions

How does social media exploit our evolutionary instincts? How dangerous is it to post about your children online? And does Angela regret talking about her daughters on the podcast?

• SOURCES:
  • Erin Carbone, visiting assistant professor of social and decision sciences at Carnegie Mellon University.
  • Jimmy Kimmel, comedian and late-night television host.
  • George Loewenstein, professor of economics and psychology at Carnegie Mellon University.
  • Taylor Swift, singer-songwriter.
  • Christie Tate, essayist and author.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Five Takeaways From The Times’s Investigation Into Child Influencers," by The New York Times (2024).
  • "Online 'Sharenting': The Dangers of Posting Sensitive Information About Children on Social Media," by Pietro Ferrara, Ignazio Cammisa, Massimo Pettoello-Mantovani, et al. (The Journal of Pediatrics, 2023).
  • "Privacy Preferences and the Drive to Disclose," by Erin Carbone and George Loewenstein (Current Directions in Psychological Science, 2023).
  • "My Daughter Asked Me to Stop Writing About Motherhood. Here’s Why I Can’t Do That," by Christie Tate (The Washington Post, 2019).
  • "When Kids Realize Their Whole Life Is Already Online," by Taylor Lorenz (The Atlantic, 2019).
  • "'Sharenting' Puts Young at Risk of Online Fraud," by Sean Coughlan (BBC News, 2018).
  • "Everything You Need to Know About the 'Right to be forgotten,'" fact sheet by the European Union.

• EXTRAS:
  • "What Is Your Password?" by Jimmy Kimmel Live! (2015).
  • "The Best Day," by Taylor Swift (2009).