Social media is not a safe place for kids. This is made obvious by the 13+ age recommendation on most social media apps. So why are parents blaming social media for the repercussions of allowing their children on these apps without supervision?
According to CBS News, there are over 1200 families pursuing lawsuits against social media companies due to negative impacts they’ve had on their children.
A few reasons for these lawsuits are for deterioration of a child’s mental health and even the death of their children. They argue that these websites push harmful ideologies such as diet culture and drugs.
Truly, these platforms have issued warnings to parents to not allow their children on social media, yet parents don’t listen or take the right actions towards keeping their children safe.
PR News Wire says that 66% of kids have a negative experience with social media. However, 60% of parents don’t use any parental control features because they trust their children will make good decisions.
There is a solution to these problems, but most parents refuse to acknowledge it. Social media platforms know there are risks, so they add features for parents to be able to monitor their children. Parents chose not to use these though.
What more can these platforms do? It takes a team to protect today’s kids, monitoring and protecting their children is part of their job as a parent.
There are too many bad individuals on these platforms for all of them to be weeded out. Some people will slip through the cracks, make new accounts and continue to harm the mental health of today’s youth.
If imposing restrictions on devices and social media and monitoring what your child is seeing online and who they’re interacting with isn’t enough, then they shouldn’t be on social media. Different kids are more responsible and honest than others, and that’s not something a social media company is able to determine. That is the parents’ job.
Social media isn’t a right. It’s a privilege for those who are mature enough to use it safely and understand when they may need to step back. It’s a dangerous place, and those who know the risks can take steps to avoid or fix them.
If a child, who is under the age of 13, has social media, it’s the parents job to take them off. If a child seems to be struggling mentally, then step in.
Offer those who need support the support they need. Get them help, don’t stand on the side lines and put full blame on social media.
I do agree that social media can cause mental health problems, but that isn’t fully the company’s fault. While I think they should take some responsibility, some of it should also be given to the users. Companies are doing a lot to ensure online safety, yet it’s never going to be flawless.
Parents need to step in and moderate their child’s digital footprint. Children’s minds are impressionable, but they can be protected, especially by the parents.
