“I would never post that”: Children, moral sensitivity and online disclosure
-
Lien Mostmans
,
Joke Bauwens
Abstract
This article explores young children’s moral sensitivity regarding online disclosure. Drawing on psychological theory, moral sensitivity is defined as the ability to express and show moral consideration in terms of empathy, role-taking and pro-social moral reasoning. Twenty-five preadolescent children aged 9 to 11, all living in Belgium, were asked in focus group interviews to share their reflections about and experiences with self-disclosure and privacy in internet environments. The findings demonstrate that young children are capable of imagining the moral consequences of disclosing personal information about oneself and about others. Their moral reflections are embedded in a more general concern of children’s vulnerability to other, more powerful information circulators in their social networks, such as older children, siblings, but also parents or the internet crowd. A strong sense of children’s entitlements to online privacy is articulated. Also, the decision of disclosing personal information about the other is carefully considered when the other is emotionally important to the children.
©2014 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin Boston
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Editorial
- Contextualizing children’s problematic situations online
- >Articles
- Classification of online problematic situations in the context of youths’ development
- Ways to avoid problematic situations and negative experiences: Children’s preventive measures online
- Developing social media literacy: How children learn to interpret risky opportunities on social network sites
- Dealing with misuse of personal information online – Coping measures of children in the EU Kids Online III project
- Meeting online strangers offline: The nature of upsetting experiences of adolescent girls
- “I would never post that”: Children, moral sensitivity and online disclosure
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Editorial
- Contextualizing children’s problematic situations online
- >Articles
- Classification of online problematic situations in the context of youths’ development
- Ways to avoid problematic situations and negative experiences: Children’s preventive measures online
- Developing social media literacy: How children learn to interpret risky opportunities on social network sites
- Dealing with misuse of personal information online – Coping measures of children in the EU Kids Online III project
- Meeting online strangers offline: The nature of upsetting experiences of adolescent girls
- “I would never post that”: Children, moral sensitivity and online disclosure
