Social Media Safety: Are Your Teenagers Safe on Social Media?
It is a sad case of affairs that human beings, whatever their age, are subject to destructive bullying and vitriol online. The internet is home to faceless cowards venting their bile over platforms like Twitter and other social media platforms. Social media safety: Are your teenagers safe on social media? The simple answer is no, unless they are as thick skinned as a rhinoceros. I do not suggest to parents that they blithely find out if their kids are tough enough, but rather, be vigilantly aware of what is going on in this virtual forum. This online playground, where the knocks can come unseen and with devastating force.
Adolescents on Social Media & the Dangers
Social media is intensely attractive to many teenagers, because it promises the allure of the attention of others and their approval. However, what can transpire is the exact opposite. Your teenager may suddenly face group ridicule and denigration, which can occur 24/7. The pack can turn on one of their own and rip all sense of self-esteem to shreds in that benighted individual. Most adolescents do not have the survival skills to cope with en masse bullying. Suicides are not uncommon in the resultant fallout from these online attacks.
Kids on Twitter & Facebook Can Suffer
Some in the community say that this a whole lot of rubbish and refuse to acknowledge the seriousness of the problem. Burying our heads in the sand. when it comes to acknowledging how human behaviour is amplified by technology, will not serve us well in the long term. The privacy lobby resists unpopular safety innovations, when it comes to things like the internet. Social media safety issues around teenagers are very real and demand solutions. Kids on Twitter and Facebook can suffer irreparable damage and be lost to us.
Adolescents are Prone to Suggestibility
Social media is, also, a forum for cultural exchanges and influences; many of which are based on incorrect facts and fear mongering. Our teenagers are being influenced by social media trend setters and much of what they have to say is unhealthy, to say the least. Adolescents are prone to suggestibility and anxieties about body shapes and their sexuality. The incessant nature of social media makes it particularly dangerous to the young and inexperienced. Kids fear missing out on things and social media can reinforce those anxieties. Make sure that you are having regular conversations with your kids about their social media usage and experiences.