Social media. It’s defined as websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking. This sounds like a great way to find friends, have fun, or make life a little easier, whether it be for work, discovering new cuisine, or finding hacks for your everyday life. 

Social media makes life easier in many ways, but we don’t always realize the impact it has and it’s not always for the best—especially when it comes to kids.

A lot of kids have access to social media, mostly for educational or entertainment reasons, but not many good things come from it, especially if those kids have unlimited access to the Internet. 

The parent locks were made for a reason: to protect children. Most social media platforms are not child-friendly, and even when content seems harmless, it could be exposing kids to ideas they are not ready for. Even if there are restrictions, there are still ways a kid can be shown content not fit for their age. It’s not the kid’s fault; it’s careless adults letting these things slide. 

For instance, YouTube Kids is not completely safe; some videos leak through the child filters and can be viewed by anyone, even when they are not meant for children. The websites made for kids need better security, and parents need to be checking their child’s watch history more often to be more involved in their online lives.

With social media apps like Instagram, Snapchat, and X, there are many more problems. The websites require users to be 13 or older, but children can easily download the apps and lie about their age to gain access to them. It’s technically the same as making a fake ID and using it, which is illegal. Parents need to realize the severity of the situation.

It doesn’t sound that bad, but when you take a young mind and let it roam freely on social media, it’s like letting a kid into a completely unknown territory and just hoping they don’t run into anything dangerous. There are lots of predators who literally look for kids to take advantage of on these platforms because it’s just that easy now. Online predators know this and will sniff out underaged kids who found their way onto social media apps.

Sometimes children are exposed to certain things online that may seem minor, but actually traumatize them. Trauma can impact anyone’s life in bad ways, but children are especially vulnerable. Trauma can lead to long-term mental or emotional problems – or worse.

As time goes on, more and more children continue to act less and less like children. Children want to grow up quickly, but in reality, they are not ready for the “real world.”

There is a solution to every problem, and this problem needs action before it’s too late.

There are ways parents can help, like locking all social media apps and preventing downloads on all electronics until children are old enough and fully understand how to be safe online. Or just give your kid a child-friendly phone that restricts calling or texting to trusted contacts until they are 13. As for websites, parents need to teach their children how to appropriately use search engines and determine which websites to use and avoid.

Social media and the Internet isn’t going away anytime soon, so parents need to ensure that their children are being safe online.