To post or not to post photographs of children? Is it worth commenting on potentially controversial topics such as vaccinations and breastfeeding in a public forum or even a private group? Facebook offers mothers of young children a range of affordances that were unimaginable in a pre–social networking site (SNS) era, but at the same time presents a new set of dilemmas surrounding parenting in the digital domain. The SNS activity of parents brings the lives of children into online spaces in a way that builds community and social capital, but at the same time creates ethical tensions and raises a series of contemporary quandaries. Drawing upon data from a mixed-methods study, including an online survey of 117 mothers and semi-structured interviews with 17, this article examines Australian mothers’ complex concerns around Facebook and the often-uneasy balance between the need for privacy and the benefits of openness, especially in relation to sharing information about children. The findings show that while issues around privacy were one of the most commonly cited downsides to Facebook use, mothers are becoming increasingly adept at negotiating ways to protect their privacy while enjoying the benefits of openness. These negotiation tactics demonstrate a strong awareness in mothers of young children of the social–political implications of parenting in the digital domain.

This article applies a quantitative analysis of gender diversity variables to custom data sets of 2011 and 2016 Australian Bureau of Statistics Census data for Film, TV and Radio employment. Prima facie, employment figures across a whole sector or employment segment can appear to be broadly representative of the Australian population, but looking more closely, it becomes apparent that the ‘devil is in the level’. Although there is often parity at the macro level, drilling down into specific roles and their differential levels of seniority and power reveals inequalities between those in key and more secure gatekeeping positions and those further down the organisational hierarchy. Focusing on gender, this article will argue that the lack of diversity at senior levels of employment is a key contributing factor to lack of diversity within cultural and creative industries, reinforcing power imbalances and social and economic inequity.