dangers of social media - Dr. Henry Paul, MD

SnapChat is a video messaging application that allows users to take photos, record videos and add text and drawings to messages that they send to their personal lists. The appeal? These conversations are disposable and temporary. The fact that the message “self-destructs” after seconds is what is so appealing to teenagers. How appealing? According to Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel, he said at the 2013 All Things D Dive into Mobile conference that “…there are about 150 million photos shared via Snapchat daily.” Wow! And that was in 2013!

Snapchat is all about pictures and conversations. Snapchat always starts with a “flash.” Simply, you take a picture. You add text. You set how long before the picture self-destructs – between one to ten seconds. You choose recipients from your private list. You hit send!

But, something that appears so simple has raised a lot of questions and concerns for parents and educators. Social media is a parents’ greatest online fear. We all know that bullying, sexting, sexual predators are just some of the dangers that immediately come to mind when we think about kids and social media. In response to the growing concerns, Snapchat created the Snapchat Safety Center. I highly recommend that you check it out.

Parents should be aware that in accordance with the U.S. Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) that the minimum age for using Snapchat is 13 years old. If a child younger than 13 tries to access the system (assuming they put in their real birth date), they will be redirected to a kid’s version called SnapKidz. This allows the users to save their photos only to their devices and doesn’t allow for them to send them.

Teenagers are drawn to Snapchat because of its ease of use and the fact that the photos do NOT live online forever. Something that not only teens, but all of us should think about when posting online. Never assume that something has truly vanished forever. Reports stemming back to 2013 confirm that you CAN retrieve deleted Snapchat’s on Android devices. Where there’s a will, there’s a way!

Look, I always recommend to parents to keep the line of communication open with their kids. So, talk with your kids about Snapchat. Let them know that you know about it and that you have concerns about their safety. Talk with them about what is appropriate to “snap” and what isn’t. Let them know they should report inappropriate use that they see (i.e. bullying, sexting, etc.) either to you or to a school official or another adult they trust. As much as it is fun to “live in the moment” there are precautions to take.

For more on safe guidelines for Snapchat visit A Parent’s Guide to Snapchat. Here is also a link to COPPA and links to the Forbes stories that explain both SnapChat and SnapKidz.

What is Snapchat and Why do Kids Love it and Parents Fear It? Forbes 2013

Snapchat Creates SnapKidz — A Sandbox For Kids Under 13 Forbes 2013

Disclaimer

This blog is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended as medical or psychiatric advice for individual conditions or treatment and does not substitute for a medical or psychiatric examination. A psychiatrist must make a determination about any treatment or prescription. Dr. Paul does not assume any responsibility or risk for the use of any information contained within this blog.

A college in New Jersey is pursuing disciplinary action against students who spread a sex tape via Yik Yak without the subject’s permission. Two students at the University of Southern Mississippi were charged with felonies over posts made to Yik Yak in late September. In Atlanta, the city where Yik Yak is headquartered, Emory University’s student government just passed a resolution denouncing the app as “a platform for hate speech or harassment.” — The Washington Post 10.07.14 [click to read the full article]

Right when you thought that bullying couldn’t get any worse — meet Yik Yak. What is Yik Yak? Yik Yak is a smartphone app that allows anonymous posts. The app released last year allows people anonymously to create and view posts within a 1.5 mile radius of their current location.

Invented by Tyler Croll and Brooks Buffington, two graduates of Furman University in South Carolina, Yik Yak was designed for college students so that they could post anonymous “yaks”. It has become incredibly popular with young people in the United States.

Most recently the app “geofenced” high school campuses in the United States. Meaning the app recognizes when you are trying to access it while on school property, and it doesn’t allow it.

The problem with a social media app that allows anonymous postings is the potential for cyberbullying. Bullying is seen in all age groups, starting even in the preschool years, increasing during the elementary school years, and peaking in middle school and junior high before declining somewhat in high school. The key issue in bullying is that the intimidation repeatedly occurs.

Cyberbullying takes bullying to a whole new level. Words can hurt and for young people who are the victims of cyberbullying it is very difficult to overcome the day-to-day harassment. Even if you choose not to engage on social media, you still can be cyberbullied. Sadly, other students will tell you what is being posted about you online. Some will tell you out of genuine concern; others are just gossiping, and yet others are doing so to perpetuate the bullying.

There is not a lot a person can do to stop cyberbullying, other than to report it to the appropriate school administrators or to law enforcement. With the anonymous Yik Yak, it is much more difficult to find the real person behind the post as the app requires very little information when you sign up. Only a phone number is needed.

If your child is being cyberbullied, there are things you can do to help them to deal with it. The first is to encourage him/her to talk to you about it. Together you should discuss how to handle it. Listen to your child and try to understand the feelings and fears that go along with being the subject of cyberbullying.

Secondly, you should reach out to the proper mental health officials. Whether it is at school or through your pediatrician’s office, you need to make sure that your child has a place to go to discuss the situation. A mental health professional will provide tools for them to put in their toolbox that will help them to overcome and deal with what is being said about them. The more confident and self-assured your child becomes, the easier it will be to deal with this.

Here is a good link for parents and teens dealing with cyberbullying. Tips to Help Stop Cyberbullying is from ConnectSafely.org, a Silicon Valley, Calif.-based nonprofit organization dedicated to educating users of connected technology about safety, privacy and security in social media.

DISCLAIMER
Information contained in this blog is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended as medical or psychiatric advice for individual conditions or treatment and does not substitute for a medical or psychiatric examination. A psychiatrist must make a determination about any treatment or prescription. Dr. Paul does not assume any responsibility or risk for the use of any information contained within this blog.

Dr. Henry Paul, MD

Psychiatrist, Author and Educator