More than six in 10 parents of minor children in South Korea posted photos or videos of their children on social media over the past year, and more than two-thirds of them did not ask their children first, a survey showed.
The Korea Press Foundation’s Media Research Center released the findings on Sept. 9. The survey of 1,800 people aged 16 to 58 nationwide, conducted last month, examined how media users handle personal information in digital and artificial intelligence environments.
Among 1,755 social media users surveyed, 59.2% said they had posted or shared someone else’s photos, videos or personal information on their own social media accounts in the past year.
The material they posted included photos and videos showing other people’s faces, as well as messages and conversations exchanged with others and identifying details such as names, contact information and workplaces.
Few checked with the person involved beforehand. Only 36.9% said they tend to ask in advance, while 26.2% said they do not ask. Another 36.9% said it depends on the situation.
The survey also examined “sharenting,” the practice of parents sharing photos and videos of their children on social media.
Asked whether they had posted photos or videos of their children on social media in the past year, 63.4% of 440 parents with minor children said they had. Of those, 23.0% said they had done so multiple times and 40.5% once or twice.
Only 12.2% of parents said they tend to check with their children before posting. By contrast, 68.1% said they do not ask separately.
Teenagers gave similar answers. Among 131 respondents aged 16 to 18, 53.4% said their parents did not ask before posting their photos on social media.
The survey found a similar lack of caution in how users enter personal information into generative AI services. Among 1,682 generative AI users, 65.5% said they had entered “private information such as my concerns, health and family relationships.” Another 56.6% said they had entered “information that identifies me, such as my name, contact details and affiliation.”
In addition, 37.8% said they had entered “documents or materials from schools, workplaces or institutions containing personal information” into generative AI, and 37.2% said they had entered “other people’s personal information, such as names, photos and conversations.”
Meanwhile, only 43.0% said they actually review the stated purpose of collection, the items collected and the retention period when consenting to provide personal information online.
The foundation said users need “to examine how their own personal information is processed and used and to judge for themselves the scope of that use, while also confirming and respecting the wishes of others when posting or sharing their personal information.”
