Is Social Media Too Risky for Kids?

As a parent in today’s society, there are many things to worry about: Is your kid eating properly? Exercising enough? Sleeping well? Taking care of themselves? Using their phone too much? Who are they talking to? Are they being safe online? What are they posting? Half of these worries didn’t exist when I was a kid, but now as a stepparent to a 13-year-old, my mind is constantly racing and worrying about her social media habits. Children and teenagers are going to use social media- that’s just a fact nowadays. What is important is to educate your child about the risks of posting online, and how to avoid any issues that may arise if they choose to use social media.

What are the risks?

Content

As much as we would love to shield our children’s eyes from the content that is visible on the internet, we can’t always protect them from everything. The internet is full of unsavory content, and unfortunately for parents, it’s very easy to access it from any smartphone, tablet, or computer. Some content that may look like it is for children at a glance can be very much the opposite. Back in 2019, YouTube videos surfaced of children’s cartoons being edited with horrendous content which went unnoticed by some parents.

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Bullying

While bullying is unfortunately an unavoidable aspect of many children’s lives, social media gives them another opportunity to both receive and leave mean comments. Not only could your child receive hateful comments from their schoolmates, but public social media platforms also open the figurative doors to thousands of strangers to do the same. In some cases, cyberbullying can lead to depression, self-esteem issues, anxiety, and for some, the hate can become too much to handle and can lead to suicide. Amanda Todd is a tragic example of cyberbullying going too far.

Privacy

Many children may not know about the importance of protecting their identity online. While they may not go around telling everyone their home address or personal information in person, they may not be able to identify a stranger online trying to collect their information in a less-direct way. Chat rooms, video comments or even photos with identifiable objects in the background are an easy way to let a predator know your whereabouts without telling them directly.

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Screen Addiction

It may not sound serious, but screen addiction is a big concern in youth today. Losing interest in other activities, withdrawal symptoms (irritability, mood changes, sleeping issues, headaches, etc), and blowout arguments caused by screen time discussions are all indicators that a child may be addicted to their screens according to an article posted by Today’s Parent. In addition to the addiction, too much social media can lead to anxiety, self-esteem issues and stress.

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How Can We Help?

There are many ways we can help our children navigate how to use social media in a healthy way. The most important thing we can do is to educate them on the potential risks of using social media, and to create an open, safe space for them to discuss their concerns. Setting boundaries and rules can be a great place to start when your child first brings up their desire to use social media. For younger children and preteens, monitoring both the content they are viewing as well as the amount of time they are using social media is very important.  Finally, leading by example is extremely important when it comes to phone usage and creating healthy habits.  If you want your child to engage in hobbies outside of social media, you need to also engage in hobbies outside of your own social media.

What other risks are there for children and preteens who want to use social media? What age do you think it is appropriate for a child to begin using it?

Twitter: Preteens + Social Media… Should you let your kid post online? Find out here: https://tinyurl.com/2p9v57s6

Facebook: How much should you monitor your tween’s social media accounts? https://tinyurl.com/2p9v57s6

The Rise and Fall of a Daily Vlogger

When YouTube was first gaining popularity, the ratio of content creators to content consumers was much different than it is now. This made it much easier for content creators to gain popularity as the platform was not nearly as saturated. Vlogging channels such as SHAYTARDS and CTFxC began gaining thousands of followers who tuned in daily to see what they were up to.

The Rise

Undoubtedly, one of the top creators on YouTube was a man named Shay Butler.  Butler began uploading daily videos in 2008 in which he shared about his weight loss, children, family, and his Mormon faith. Quickly gaining popularity, Butler joined forces with a group of content creators to create Maker Studios Inc in 2009, which sold to the Walt Disney Company for $500 million dollars in 2015. Over the course of his YouTube career, he shared videos ranging from ski trips, Christmas celebrations, completing his first marathon, and even the births of his children. Everything seemed to be looking great for the vlogger until 2017 when it all came crashing down.

Image: Maker Studios Inc. Founders via @MakerStudios on Twitter.com

The Fall

In a now-deleted video posted in 2017, Butler announced that he would no longer be creating content as he was set to attend a rehabilitation centre for alcohol abuse. This, paired with a very public online cheating scandal caused uproar with his followers as he was very vocal about his Mormon beliefs, as well as how devoted he was to his wife.  Butler disappeared from the internet to focus on healing himself and his family.  He was faced with backlash from the online community as not only did he put himself and his wife through public ridicule, but his five children as well. Butler has since returned to YouTube, however, his video views have drastically decreased compared to before his public scandals.

Image: Shay Carl Butler via Variety.com

Shay Butler is not the only daily vlogger who has been involved in scandals over the years; YouTubers The Ace Family are frequently in the public eye for a variety of issues, and recently Ned Fulmer of the Try Guys was involved in a very public cheating scandal. It seems that the more a public figure is willing to share on their social media platforms, the bigger the potential for a public scandal there is.

How do you feel about daily vloggers? Would you ever put yourself and your family online for everyone to see?

Twitter: Is daily vlogging #cancelled? 👀 Check out my newest post here! https://rb.gy/013z

Facebook: Scandals, cancel culture and losing followers, oh my! How risky is daily vlogging? Find out here: https://rb.gy/013z

Is Your Employer Creeping Your Profile?

It’s safe to say that the vast majority of people have posted on social media without thinking that it could ever affect their employment status. Whether it be a selfie from a night out with friends, reposting a politically-charged meme, or commenting on a friend’s questionable opinion, what happens on the internet stays on the internet and it can have a huge effect on our lives. Like it or not, even the most private social media accounts can be subject to a screenshot and repost, so it’s best to think twice before posting.

How harmful could it be?

Profile creeping- we’ve all done it. Curiosity gets the better of most people, and sometimes we can’t help but wonder what our high school boyfriend is up to, or what ever happened to that best friend we had in elementary school. Unfortunately for some, social media works both ways, and we never know who may be looking at our own profiles- employers included.

Recently a TikToker named Lexi Larson was fired after two weeks at her new job for posting information about her salary online. Another TikToker by the name of Chelle was also let go for gross negligence after posting a video of a coffee mishap with the sound of her CPO speaking in the background. TikTok is not the only platform that has created some issues with employers though; according to an article written on CBC.ca back in 2012, a man was fired from his job after posting negative comments on a Facebook memorial page for Amanda Todd. A member of the group saw his comments and alerted his employer which resulted in his termination. Similarly, Global News reported on when the Toronto Marlies quickly let go of newly signed Goaltending Coach Dusty Imoo back in September of 2021 after it was found that he had liked tweets about the Capitol riot in January 2021, anti-vaccination opinions and tweets including transphobic comments.

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How can we avoid it?

As hard as it may be for some, the easiest way to avoid backlash is to refrain from posting controversial content on a public platform. Most platforms allow users to create more than one profile, so in some cases it may be beneficial to create one very private account to communicate with close friends and family members that you trust and one more public, professional account that employers, potential landlords or nosy former friends can see. The latter should be monitored closely and only appropriate, politically correct content should be posted to avoid any mishaps.

What are your thoughts? Do you think it’s feasible to create multiple profiles to avoid having unwanted people view your posts? How else do you think you could preserve your privacy while maintaining an online presence?

Twitter: Could your employer be creeping your profile without your knowledge?👀 Find out how to protect your #privacy and keep unwanted visitors off your page. (bit.ly link)

Facebook: Take control of who can creep your profile! Keep unwanted lurkers off of your page with one easy trick: (bit.ly link)

How 6 Seconds Can Influence Your Social Media Usage

Recently, while mindlessly scrolling TikTok, I came across a video of a woman explaining an app that she had recently found that forces her to wait 6 seconds before opening the app. At first, I swiped both this video and the thought away; however, I found it myself thinking about it for days. I decided to give it a try and was blown away at the difference it made in just a short amount of time; not only did this app reduce my screentime, but it changed my social media habits.

What is one sec?

One sec is an app that you can configure to open any time you click on a social media app on your phone. It forces you to pause and take a deep breath for 6 seconds before scrolling or posting. The app also keeps a running total of how many times you have tried to open the specific social media app within a 24-hour period and gives you the option to either open the app or not after you take a deep breath and reflect.

One sec was developed for a variety of reasons including: to help balance time spent on social media, increase productivity, improve mental health, replace social media habits with healthier ones, and to improve sleep. The goal of using this app is to make the user realize how often they open their social media apps and question why they are opening it, whether that be boredom, curiosity or habit.

Does it actually work?

As skeptical as I was about this app, I must admit it certainly influenced my social media usage. In a recent article posted by WallarooMedia, it was reported that TikTok users spend on average 95 minutes per day using the app. Prior to downloading this app, I was (embarrassingly) spending an average of 2.5 hours per day mindlessly scrolling TikTok. Since installing one sec, my daily usage decreased to an average of 42 minutes. While this is still more time than I would like to admit spending on an app, I am very happy with my results.  I found myself clicking “I don’t want to open TikTok” more times than not, and instead taking the time to tidy my house or work on a project instead. I will absolutely continue using this app and will likely set it up for use on other social media apps as well.

Do you think one sec would be useful in your life? If so, which app would you enable it with to free up some time for more productivity?

Social Media Posts:

Twitter: Can 6 seconds reduce your social media usage? It absolutely can! Learn how a deep breath can change the way you spend your free time. (bit.ly link) #socialmedia #screentime #onesec

Facebook: If you’re anything like me, social media has completely taken over your free time. I recently discovered an app that helped me put the phone down and focus on productivity! Read more here: (bit.ly link)