Development and Validation of the Sharenting Behavior Scale Among Parents

Due to the proliferation of social media, sharenting has become a widespread parental behavior. Its prevalence, combined with its potential impact on children’s privacy and well-being, highlights the need for a parent-specific psychometric instrument. The present study aimed to develop and validate the Sharenting Behavior Scale (SBS) to assess the factors influencing sharenting behavior. A total of 1483 parents participated. Psychometric testing included construct validity, using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, and reliability assessment. Exploratory factor analysis yielded a 30-item, six-dimensional structure explaining 49.60% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analysis validated this structure (robust CFI = 0.956, TLI = 0.950, RMSEA = 0.037, SRMR = 0.050). Convergent and discriminant validity were established, and concurrent validity was supported by positive associations with fear of missing out, social presence, and social media addiction. The total scale showed good internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.86), with subscale alpha and McDonald’s omega coefficients ranging from 0.72 to 0.90. The scale further demonstrated full measurement invariance across gender, supporting comparisons between male and female parents. These findings indicate that the SBS is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing sharenting behavior among parents.