To share or not to share? That is the question.

Parents fear they could lose friends on social media and become a 'baby bore' by bombarding Facebook's news feed with photos of their children.

The rise of social media has seen users share personal photos on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, but a study taken by Tinybeans, an Australian-born social network app for parents, reveals 50 per cent of parents worry 'over-sharenting' will annoy friends.

Despite three quarters of Australian parents worrying about the safety of sharing baby pictures on social media, one in 10 parents admit their concern is losing friends.

Tinybeans user Lee Bradford joined the social network site after realising all her baby pictures were annoying Facebook friends

Despite three quarters of Australian parents worrying about the safety of sharing baby pictures on social media, one in 10 parents admit their concern is losing friends

This follows last month's warning to mothers who post baby pictures publicly, after Instagram users were caught stealing newborn and toddler photos, re-posting them to new accounts, and then inviting followers to create elaborate story-lines with the children.

The practice is called 'baby role-playing,' and a quick search for the hashtag '#babyrp' has revealed hundreds of these accounts exist, with new ones popping up daily.

The scenarios - which take place in Instagram comment sections - usually involve one user acting as the parent or caregiver and another pretending to be the child, who's been given a new name.

Though most of the back and forth is relatively innocent (swaddling or feeding the baby, for example), occasionally the scenarios turn extremely sexual and violent.

Safety prompted three Australians to build a secure and private social media network for parents who love taking pictures of their kids and sharing them online.

Sarah-Jane Kurtini, co-founder of Tinybeans, said the study found 50 per cent of parents were sharing up to five photos everyday.

'As most new parents know, you want to share your precious moments and not have to worry about security and privacy issues,' Ms Kurtini said.

'As Tinybeans is a private social network you can confidently share your precious moments without risking alienating friends who may not like having their feeds clogged with your baby pictures.'

Founders of Tinybeans Sarah-Jane Kurtini, Stephen O'Young and Eddie Geller

Lee Bradford said she was taking up to 100 to 150 photos of her daughter, Isla (pictured), each day

The organisation focuses on the well-being of a child and allows parents to create a journal-like account.

'Our users own their content and we provide value beyond printing services and sharing photos through our focus on helping families raise their children and support their child's development.'

First-time mother Lee Bradford knows the anxiety of 'over-sharenting' all too well. She told Daily Mail Australia she was taking up to 100 to 150 photos of her daughter, Isla, each day.

'I copped quite a bit of slack because I posted one too many photos - waking up photos, sleeping photos, side photos,' she said.

'At the start everyone was really excited but eventually my friends were commenting on the photos saying "Oh, another photo of Isla - hasn't she changed since the last 48 photos you've put up.""

Ms Bradford, who lives in Bondi Beach, Sydney, explained her reasons for sharing pictures of her daughter was to let her family, who are not Sydney residents, see Isla grow up.

'I realised it was becoming an issue. I actually had people unfollow me and unfriend me,' she said.

Losing Facebook friends was not Ms Bradford's only fear, she held concerns for her daughters safety and made sure she would never post photos of her naked, at the beach or potty training.

Instagram users were caught stealing newborn and toddler photos, re-posting them to new accounts, and then inviting followers to create elaborate story-lines with the children

Tinybeans offered piece of mind to Ms Bradford and meant annoying friends on Facebook would no longer be a problem.

'When you first become a parent it is the proudest moment of your life and you feel like the whole world feels the same but they actually don’t,' Ms Bradford laughs.

'Tinybeans is a safe community where I can post anything I want and I know that people want to see it.

'I am on another website called Bondi Babies which has 4000 followers and people are constantly asking for a media outlet that lets them post photos of their children that allows their family and friends access.

'I am fast to jump on and tell them all about Tinybeans.'

But this is not something that only Ms Bradford enjoys, she said even Isla has an input with her Tinybeans page.

'Most of the time she is quite particular about what photos are being taken of her and she says "Mummy have we 'beans' it?", Ms Bradford said. 'She (Isla) has a very solid understanding of who gets to see it.'

Tinybeans has been established since 2012 and now has half a million users who use the social network site.

The platform was thought of by co-founder Stephen O'Young who wanted to find an easy and safe way to share moments of his son. The idea was then recognised by Eddie Geller and Sarah-Jane Kurtini who jumped on board to be apart of Tinybeans.