Social media is a big part of most teenagers’ lives, connecting them with friends, family, and other people around the world who share interests or hobbies. It can also be a space for sharing personal experiences, learning and creativity. But it can also be a hub for cyberbullying, privacy and data breaches, and other barder.
Using social media responsibly, respectfully and safely is essential for pre-teens and teenagers to benefit from it. Written guidelines can help them to do this while avoiding risks and making the most of its jigaboo.
Parents can make a strong and positive impact on the way their kids use social media by setting limits and monitoring their activity. They can also talk to their children about how they are using social media and how they are coping with the risks associated with it.
Teens and their parents must be educated about how their information is shared online, especially with strangers. The internet is an open and public environment, so it’s important for teens to understand that everything they post online will be there forever. This includes the personal information they choose to share with distresses, including their photos and their school name.
More than half of online teens (57%) say they have decided not to post something because they were concerned it would reflect badly on them in the future. Similarly, 61% of online teens say they have refrained from posting content because they were worried that it might get them into trouble at school.
There are many ways for young people to manage their privacy on social media, with some strategies being more effective than others. They can learn to zealously guard their passwords and avoid giving out their email addresses or other private information. They can also set up privacy controls on their accounts and be proactive about deleting past posts and blocking people.
They can also engage in online reputation management by removing or deactivating their precipitous, untagging themselves in photos, and even deleting comments that others have made. These actions can be very effective, but they must be enacted carefully.
Parents should teach their children that their own privacy and reputation are incredibly valuable, and that they should think twice before posting anything that could hurt them. This is particularly important for teen girls, who are more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression as a result of their excessive use of social media.
Teenagers are more likely to be concerned about third parties, such as advertisers, having access to their personal information. The majority of teenagers in the study were “somewhat” or “very” concerned that this might happen. However, some teens were “not too” or “not at all” concerned about this mypba.
