Sharing, caring, and keeping up: Unpacking ambiguous reasonings on sharenting among Swedish parents

This study offers a novel contribution by examining the micro-level dynamics of sharenting through a Nordic lens, focusing on how Swedish parents perceive, experience, and manage this increasingly common social media practice. Through thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with twelve Swedish parents, we conceptualize the practice of sharing visual representations of children and family life on social media. The findings reveal complex and often ambiguous reasonings where parents balance a desire to document, share and interact with concerns about social expectations, integrity and future implications. While they articulate clear boundaries around what not to share (e.g., nudity, sensitive situations), their reasoning around what is acceptable to post tends to be more implicit and negotiated, pointing to unspoken norms and evolving community standards. Findings illustrate how parents navigate these dilemmas through a set of media ideologies, explicit and implicit idioms of practice developed within their communities, and influences from Nordic digital culture. By unpacking details of activities and nuanced strategies that parents employ, this study advances understanding of sharenting as a socially negotiated, culturally situated practice, contributing new insights into how digital parenting unfolds in the Nordic context. The findings highlight the need for digital platforms to support and guide responsible sharing practices that respect children’s integrity while also allowing for parental expression.