Social media has taken the world by storm and is growing each day. Before, it was only adults who used it, but now kids and teens also know the ins and outs. If you think it seems harmless, think again.
There are many hidden dangers that as parents that we may not have thought about or try to ignore. We need to take a more in-depth look at the dark side of the net and what we can do to protect our loved ones.
Sharing Everything
You might have noticed, or not, that your teen is probably sharing numerous photos every day, and perhaps even their location. It probably seems cool to them to check in to the latest movie or the biggest football game of the year, but it’s a bad idea.
It’s not nice to think about, but there are a lot of strange people lurking on the world wide web. They can spy very easily on social media when someone is sharing everything about themselves and where they are at all times.
Stalkers are a real thing, and if you don’t want someone stalking you, you really need to think about what is being shared. Speak with your teen about how often and what things they can show the world, and why they need to take precautions.
Identity Theft
It’s not uncommon these days for an online account to be mirrored. With all the photos available, it’s very easy for someone to steal all the information and all your photos.
Whether they are copying you down to the last detail or using your photos to create a fake account, it’s identity theft, and you will feel very vulnerable if it happens to you. Your teen’s pics may be being used to lure someone else in a trap.
It’s a good idea to get your teenager to make all their photos private and look into their other privacy settings. You can also invest in a network scanner to check who is using your home network and IP address to make sure there are no threats to your family.
Public Shaming
Bullying in schools is being handled much better than in the past. However, there’s a new place to be mean to others, and it’s on social media. There have even been, unfortunately, suicides due to online bullying.
Your child could be the victim of public shaming from others at school or even be partaking in it themselves. It’s not pleasant to think about, but you really don’t know what is going on in their social circles and what happens when they log into their social media account.
In reality, a social media account is for over 18’s, but many youngsters use it too. Your teen shouldn’t be using it, and this is an excellent way to make sure public shaming isn’t happening.
It’s difficult to monitor everything they are up to, though. Especially if they have a cellphone. Just be sure to talk to them regularly about what’s going on at school and other matters, and hopefully, you’ll find out if something is going on, or be able to avoid it altogether.
Be Careful
It can be challenging to keep teenagers away from social media as it is everywhere these days, and there are many ways to access it. It’s crucial, however, that you discuss with your child and really get them to see the dangers behind it and the damage it can do.
Hopefully, they will take it to heart and understand these aspects to make use of it sensibly and not too often. A lot could be at risk if not.
