Teens' Cruel World of Social Media

TEENS' Without a doubt, teens today are immersed in the Web and, more CRUEL WORLD specifically, on social media sites. As more relationships are built and maintained through social networking sites, kids are encountering a growing number of unkind peers. Are parents seeing this and becoming more connected and involved in their kids' online lives? Of SOCIAL NETWORKING HOW TEENS USE SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES TODAY A whopping 76 percent of online teens ages 12-17 are social media users. teens ages 12-17 76% of online teens WHAT TASKS DO THEY PERFORM? Ages Ages 14-17 Boys Girls 12-13 POST COMMENTS ON FRIENDS' POSTS TAG PEOPLE IN POSTS, PHOTOS, OR VIDEOS PLAY GAMES 73% 69% 59% 73% 79% 60% I 92% 44% 86% 51% 88% 49% POST STATUS UPDATES POST A PHOTO OR VIDEO 73% 68% |90% 84% 85% 71% 87% 88% SEND IMS OR CHAT WITH FRIENDS SEND PRIVATE MESSAGES | 84% 67% 89% 79% 89% 73% 86% 79% WHO ARE THE (UN)KIND USERS OF SOCIAL MEDIA? Teens Mistreat Others More Than Adults ... TEENS 12-17 1% Don't know/Refused 10% Depends 20% People are mostly unkind 69% People are mostly kind ADULTS 18+ Don't know/Refused 5% Depends 5% People are mostly unkind 5% 85% People are mostly kind HOW PEERS TREAT ONE ANOTHER Mostly kind Mostly unkind Depends Girls 12-17 Boys 12-17 66% 26% 8% 73% 14% 13% Teenage girls are significantly more unkind to their peers than their male counterparts. FREQUENCY OF ONLINE CRUELTY AND MEANNESS 88 percent of social media users say they have seen someone be mean or cruel to another person on a social network site. 88% SECURITY ISSUES AND BAD HABITS THAT NEED TO BE BROKEN 44 percent of all teen Internet users said they were older than they really were in order to access a website. One in three (30 percent of) teens have shared a password with a friend or significant other. 3 QUICK TIPS FOR PARENTS Almost 60 percent of teens say their parents have the most influence on their online behavior. 60% TIP 1- Take the time to understand social networking. Many useful and reputable resources are available, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, Federal Trade Commission, and Safekids.com to assist parents. TIP 2 - Communicate online safety & set parameters. An open dialogue is key! Be proactive and educate your kids about (in)appropriate online activity and potential dangers. TIP 3 - Stay Connected! Keep track of your kids' social networking activities. It is essential to recognize any changes in behavior which may be a result of harmful online activity. Z ZONEALARM by Check Point SOURCES: PEW RESEARCH CENTER, ZONEALARM.COM ) он