- The Risks of Social Media for Teens
What You Need to Know
Social media plays a major role in teenagers’ lives, but without proper privacy settings, it can expose them to significant dangers. Predators, cyberbullies, and identity thieves often exploit public profiles to gain access to personal information, manipulate teens, or cause emotional harm.
- Predators and Fake Profiles – Online predators use social media to find and manipulate teens by creating fake profiles. They often pose as someone their age, slowly building trust before pressuring them to share personal information or explicit content. Once obtained, this material can be used for blackmail or coercion.
- Cyberbullying and Harassment – Public social media accounts leave teens vulnerable to online bullying. Hurtful comments, rumor-spreading, and even fake accounts created to humiliate them can lead to severe emotional distress, anxiety, and depression.
- Unwanted Followers and Oversharing – Teens may unknowingly share personal details such as their school, daily routine, or location, making them easy targets for stalkers or identity thieves. Without privacy settings in place, their posts can be accessed by strangers who may track their movements or misuse their information.
What You Should Do
To minimize risks and create a safer online experience, parents should take an active role in their teen’s social media use by implementing key privacy measures and fostering digital awareness.
- Set Social Media Accounts to Private – Help your teen adjust privacy settings so only approved friends and followers can see their posts, send messages, and interact with their content. This prevents strangers from accessing their information.
- Review and Adjust Privacy Settings – Each platform has different settings that must be manually updated to ensure safety. Some key steps include:
- Instagram: Enable “Private Account” mode, restrict messages to friends, and require manual approval for tagged photos.
- TikTok: Turn on “Private Account,” disable the ability to download videos, and turn off “Suggest Your Account to Others.”
- Snapchat: Enable “Ghost Mode” to hide your teen’s location and turn off “Quick Add” to prevent strangers from easily finding them.
- Monitor Followers and Messages – Regularly check your teen’s followers and messages to identify any suspicious activity. Encourage them to remove unknown followers and report any concerning interactions.
- Teach Online Safety and Awareness – Have open conversations about digital dangers. Teach your teen to recognize red flags, such as strangers asking for personal information, pressuring them to send private photos, or attempting to move conversations to less secure platforms.
- Use Parental Controls and Monitoring Tools – Many devices and apps offer parental control features that allow you to limit content exposure, block unwanted contacts, and prevent your teen from changing privacy settings. Consider using parental monitoring tools with their knowledge and consent to ensure their online safety.
Not sure you’re doing enough to protect your child against digital dangers?
Call our cyber parenting hotline or email us for help:
801-692-6200
cyberparentinghelp@invisus.com
