16 Issues Teens Face on Social Media

Know Your Rights - What are UK & EU Laws around online delinquency & what is the punishment for minors? Also, put yourself in the position of the victim, how would you feel? If you are the one being bullied online, check out the Reporting Tools on each platform and if that is not enough, talk to your parents and teachers. Don’t be silenced by the trolls!

Like any addiction you need to admit to yourself the issue and take small steps towards finding fulfilment beyond the virtual emotional currency of likes, views, comments and shares.

Just because a snap appears temporarily does not mean the person you’re sending it to or hackers can’t download the image, print screen it and worse, use it against you.

Whether it’s posting a complaint about your teacher, or lying to your parents about your whereabouts, remember if there is visual evidence online, it can always get back to them. Be truthful and keep negative commentary offline.

Don’t be naive. A person may appear to be friendly and in your age group, but you really have no idea. Meeting strangers in real life is extremely dangerous and there are plenty of people just waiting to take advantage of a vulnerable minor.

Is the “You” others see online your truest self? Or a ‘photoshopped’ alter ego? Are you posting to make others jealous or lying to yourself about the real situation you’re in? Keeping up a fake persona will not only get tiring but also harm your self-esteem. Remember, if there are things you are embarrassed about, no one is forcing you to post alternatives: Just Don’t Post.

We should all have our own opinions about socio-political and faith issues, however there’s a fine line between spreading hate speech or communicating radical thoughts and advocating a good cause.

Be aware that your temporary images and videos, as well as your public posts, are vulnerable to third party sites stealing them and distributing without your permission across the web.

Do you have one password for all your accounts? Is it your birth date? Wise-up and change your passwords regularly and stay up to date about new security features.

Always have your phone at hand, fingers tapping away, eyes unable to shut, If your phone sleeps with you, and you are unable to go through a lesson without thinking about your digital narrative, just remember whilst you were connected with your face deep inside your screen, the beautiful natural world is passing you by. Take some time to appreciate what’s around you.

Whether you’re logging in to your banking over a public Wi-Fi in a coffee shop, or someone has created a fake profile with your images and information. Cat fishing is real!

Be sceptical of what you hear and see. Just because it is written and shared on social media does not make the information factually right, do your research and find other sources.

A relatively new feature on many social platforms is real-time uploading: It may be a cool new trend, but broadcasting to both friends and strangers without the possibility of double checking your content can have negative repercussions.

Be careful! It’s easy to get lost in the world of the game and forget that you are connected to a real bank account, your or your parents, can quickly add up to a lot of £££

From maps to check-ins or payment software, more often than not the default settings are set so that your every move is recorded into a web of meta-data, to the point where the bots and faceless advertisers know more about your movements than you!

Be it junk mail, pop-ups or unverified applications, don’t download anything you don’t trust, and make sure your antivirus and pop-up blockers are up to date.