Social Media & Your T(w)een  

Social Media has exploded in the last 10 years, and it can be an excellent way to connect, share, and create.   
With the many benefits come troubling pitfalls for kids: 
● Dealing with cyberbullies, “haters” and “trolls” 
● Exposure to violence, stereotyping, and hate speech 
● Health concerns, such as sleep disturbances, media addiction, and increased anxiety 
● Receiving “sexts” and increased pressure to send sexual images   
We know that adolescents seek their peers’ attention and affirmation. Social media can help fill that need but 
can also be a hostile environment, damaging reputations and psyches (it’s important to keep in mind that most 
social media is not intended for children or tweens). For many users, the number of followers and “likes” one 
receives is considered a measure of popularity. There is a need to know what is going on (and a fear of missing 
out, or FOMO), as well as anxiety about checking that no one is saying mean things about them. For more on 
this, read/watch: #​ Being13: Inside the Secret World of Teens​, CNN Special Report 
 

Social Media You May Not Be Familiar With  

(But Your Kids Probably Are) 

Apps That Hide:  Instagram  

Yik Yak​is a free app 
Photos Calculator  A popular social media site 
that lets users post 
Private Photo (Calculator%)  where users post personal 
"anything and 
app is an example of a private  pictures (public sharing is the 
everything" 
photos and videos concealer.  default).  
anonymously, including 
The icon looks looks and acts like a  Like Facebook, users tag, comment, or 
a lot of sexually explicit and substance 
calculator, but a passcode will open up the  “like” the photos posted. Receiving many 
abuse content that's clearly not for kids. 
vault of private photos and videos saved to  “likes” is considered a measure of 
Yik Yak works via GPS posts messages 
the phone. Read more about teens using  popularity or affirmation. Private messaging 
(called "yaks") to other nearby users 
“Ghost apps” here.  is now an option (Common Sense Media). 
(Common Sense Media). 
Note: Porn can be found under innocent 
searches, such as #beauty, #fashion, etc.   

YouTube: You may not  Twitter​is an online social 

After School,​an alternative 
know there are many videos  networking/ microblogging  to Yik Yak, is a teen-focused 
on YouTube that are not  service that enables users to  anonymous social app where 
age-appropriate for kids. The  send and read "tweets",  kids can post without having 
site is entirely user-generated  which are text messages  to worry about parents or 
and relies on its community  limited to 140 characters.   teachers. ​After School h ​as some anti- 
to flag videos. Plenty of inappropriate    bullying measures in place after many 
complaints were levied, but students say 
content can surface on YouTube by typing  Teens are using T
​ witter​to follow and 
bullying, sexual, & disrespectful comments 
in the most innocent of search terms or by  converse with each other in large numbers  still get through. (​WashingtonPost) 
reading comments posted, so parents will  through hashtags (#funny).  
want to monitor kids' use​.

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 Vine ​is a social media app that  Snapchat i​s a fun photo  Kik​is an instant 
lets you post and watch looping  messaging app where users  messaging app that is rated 
six-second video clips. Many of  can take “snaps” (photos,  17+ by iTunes. It boasts 
the videos are harmless, but  videos, text and drawings) and  80 million users who can 
parents need to be aware that Vine is full of  send them to a controlled list of recipients.  post to other users with relative 
content that is inappropriate for children.  SnapChat could be a temptation for teens  anonymity. Tied to cyberbullying 
With the most basic creative searching, kids  to use it for "sexting" because the risks of  suicide cases, online predators, and 
can find nudity, sex, drug use, offensive  having the photo circulate around the  sexting.  
language, and more.  Internet are lower. 
 

Tumblr​users post photos, 

Burn Note​is a messaging app  Whisper​is a social 
videos, and other media to their 
that erases messages after a set  "confessional" app that 
followers, who can then 
period of time. Unlike many  allows users to post 
share/repost with their 
other apps of this sort, it limits  whatever's on their mind, 
followers as well. Posts that can be found fit 
one of the following three categories:  ​
itself to text messages -- users cannot​ send 
which is then paired with 
an image. All too often, those whispers 
* Posts of people’s daily lives  pictures or video. Parents should be aware  are sexual -- and sometimes users try to 
* Entertaining memes and gifs    of the app, though, as it allows kids and  meet with others for sex. There's 
they re-share with their friends  teens to communicate covertly, with no  copious strong language and sexual 
* Porn and near-porn  evidence the conversation took place.  images.  
collections, usually posted   
under a pseudonym 

WhatsApp​lets users send text   

Gaming​(Xbox and 
PS4 for example) is  messages, audio messages, 
often social and can be  videos, and photos to one or 
addictive. Many  many people with no message 
consoles use games  limits or fees. Made for users 16 and over. 
that give users chat avenues with comments  Lots of younger teens seem to be using the 
or headsets. Rarely is speech and text  app, but this age minimum has been set by 
monitored. Be aware of violence, offensive  WhatsApp. 
language, gender stereotyping, and bullying. 

 
 
Discussion Points: 

● Consider the brain ​development and readiness of children and tweens ​before allowing 
devices enabled with Internet access and communication. A flip phone model may be a good 
starting place (while older teens may be ready for smartphones & online access). 
 
● Even at a time when teens’ mobile access to the Internet has increased dramatically...the 
number of parents who say they use parental controls or other means of blocking or filtering 
has decreased​slightly” (​“In Digital World, Kids Gain the Upperhand”​). 

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● Adolescents’ communication abilities often out-perform their judgement, so continued 
parental involvement is critical.  
 
● Cyberbullying, “over-sharing” of private information, and sexting are constant dangers for 
adolescents navigating online social media, especially when they do so without supervision.  
 
● Learn how to make use of Parental Controls and passwords--laptops, phones, gaming 
consoles, and tablets can all be password protected. Parents should control all passwords and 
monitor app downloads in account settings.   
 
● What age is appropriate for public online access and discourse? As a family, careful 
consideration should be given due to exposure to violent imagery, sexual text and images, hate 
speech, and offensive language. 
 
● Teach children and teens how to make healthy decisions and balance any media use with other 
offline activities. “The bottom line is that too much screen time and not enough other 
activities, such as reading, playing games, and good old unstructured and imaginative play, will 
result in your children having their brains wired in ways that may make them less, not more, 
prepared to thrive in this new world of technology” (“​The 4 Ways Technology Affects our 
Children’s Thinking​”) 
 

Sources & Resources: 

 
● Common Sense Media​ (this site is rich with parent support: movie, app, & game reviews, tip 
sheets on managing media, and cyberbullying help) 
● 5 Tips for Helping Teens Manage Technology  
from ​Greater Good: Science of a Meaningful Life​.   
● Tablet and Smartphone Bootcamp for MS Parents 
● It’s Digital Heroin​ (tips on how parents can help combat media addiction) 
● How Has Social Media Changed Teen Girls’ Lives? 
● PCSD.us​ (please visit our Cyber Safety pages on the district website) 
 
Contact Us for Help or More Information on Digital Literacy: 
 
You may call the school office or email us at the following: Jon Kludt-Painter, Technology 
Coordinator, at j​ painter@pcsd.us​ and Carissa Cotta, Library Media Specialist, at ​ccotta@pcsd.us 
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