A newly published volume titled Digital Parenthood examines sharenting, the practice of parents sharing content about their children online, one of the most widespread and controversial phenomena of the digital age, the National Media and Infocommunications Authority said in a statement on Monday.
The book was released in the media studies series of Gondolat Publishing and was edited by media lawyer Gergely Ferenc Lendvai and András Koltay, president of the National Media and Infocommunications Authority (NMHH). The publication approaches the opportunities, challenges and conflicts of digital childhood from multiple perspectives.
According to the statement, a study by Szilvia Gyurkó and Viktória Botos on children’s rights argues that technological development and digitalization have reshaped childhood, making it both more fragmented and more diffuse, with the internet increasingly replacing traditional community roles in upbringing.
The volume highlights phenomena such as parents navigating electronic school records, grandparents posting about grandchildren and teachers acting as influencers, illustrating how online platforms have become an unavoidable part of family life.
The first part of the book analyses how and why parenting habits have changed alongside the spread of social media platforms and video-sharing sites. It addresses issues such as digital control and explores how artificial intelligence-based applications can support disadvantaged groups and be used in education.
The second part focuses on regulatory questions related to digital parenthood, primarily from personality rights and data protection perspectives, while also examining family rituals and influencer marketing.
Several studies are devoted to sharenting, drawing attention to its significance and explaining why it has become a prominent topic in social sciences. The authors note that parents effectively shape their children’s digital identities, potentially turning them into public figures without their consent.
The book argues that posting about children interferes with their private sphere and can violate their rights to privacy and digital self-determination, even if this is not the parent’s intention. Another concern highlighted is that content shared on social media may remain accessible for years or even decades.
In their joint study, András Koltay and Gergely Ferenc Lendvai analyse sharenting as a legal issue, describing it as more than a family ritual and as a practice that reshapes children’s digital identities and family relationships. Using examples from international case law, they examine how conflicts between parental and child interests may be resolved.
Koltay said the aim was to present the topic from diverse disciplinary perspectives in a scientifically rigorous yet accessible way. The authority added that protecting children online remains a priority and that the book forms part of its broader efforts to promote digital safety. The volume was published at the end of 2025 and is intended for both general readers and researchers.
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