Social media obsession among teenagers is no more a new thing. The studies indicate excessive and needless use of social networking platforms among younger children. The children between the age of 12 and 17 spend almost nine hours a day using social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. The more time they remain online, the more likely they are to experience menaces of social networks. From cyber bullying and online child molestation to sexting and self-harm activities, there are several risks associated with the unsupervised use of socializing platforms. This article discusses the dangers of social media and the ways to protect teenagers from these endangerment. Read on to know how parents can rescue their children from the menaces of the online world.
Dangers of Social Media
The social networking platforms enable users to get connected with the people across the world without discrimination of religion, country, age, gender or any other categorization. Meanwhile, these platforms expose teenagers to the risks of online bullying, scamming, child molestation and more.
Cyber bullying
The use of social media platforms to frequently harass, offend, humiliate, tease or make fun of someone is considered cyber bullying. If your teen is repeatedly receiving harassing messages or humiliating comments, he is experiencing online bullying. The most common platforms for online harassment are Facebook and Instagram.
Sexting
Sexting is an emerging trend among teenage girls and boys. They use social media platforms to exchange sexually explicit photos and videos. Snap-chat social media app is considered the most secure platform for sexting because whatever you exchange via this app gets automatically deleted from the receiving and sending device within few seconds. The app automatically deletes Snap chat messages seconds after being seen by the receiver.
Online Child Predation
The adult social media users target teenagers and exploit them for sexual purpose. They use Facebook and similar platforms to find the target and gather information about that target. Many victims of online child predation have committed suicide while many others have been suffering from depression and psychological issues.
Self-Harm Activities
The social media sites which allow posting violent and self-harm content without filtration are the most dangerous social networks for teenagers. The teenage girls and boys are induce to take unsafe challenges and put their lives at risk.
Cat-Fishing & Scamming
There is a great number of social media users who do not reveal their original identity. They provide inaccurate or bogus information to trap the target. The only aim of these impersonators and scammers is to exploit the target for sexual or monetary gain.
How to Protect Teenagers from Social Media Dangers
Parents are responsible to protect their children from the dangers of social media platforms. They should educate their children about the menaces of social media. Also, get your kids learn the ways to combat these endangerments. The social media monitoring is also important to keep your kids from unsecure and objectionable online activities.
Social Media Monitoring
The monitoring of social networking platforms is of great significance. Parents must be aware of their kids’ online activities to ensure they are not involve in wrongdoings. There are software and apps that enable parents to keep track of social media activities of children. The social mediaOgyMogy monitoring applets you track Facebook, Instagram, Snap chat, Tumbler, Whats App and many other social and instant messengers. The tracking of these social networks enable parents to remotely trace bullying, online child predation, sexting and scamming.
Educate Kids about Social Media Dangers
Communication plays a vital role in educating and monitoring kids from the social media dangers. Have frequent discussions with your children to inform them about the issues and risks prevailing in the online world. Also, educate them how they can deal with bullies, predators and other online criminals.Moreover, help them learn what is safe to post on the internet and what not.
Demonstrate Model Behavior
Parents are well aware of the fact that kids do what they see others doing. So, let your kids learn the responsible and controlled use of social media sites and apps by demonstrating idealistic online behavior. Do not involve in online activities that you do not want your kids to get involve. Limit your use of social media apps and make plans to get your kids introduce with the real world.
