Parents Awareness: You Must Know about Social Media Porn

A recent study found that teens are most interested in using Snapchat, followed closely by Instagram. These social media apps expose teens and kids to porn sites in different ways.

If a teenager types in an innocent-looking fruit or vegetable emoji on their phone, a list of links pops up to images ranging from barely clothed women to women in fully engaged sexual bondage scenarios.

These images lead directly to pornographic accounts used by many porn performers on Snapchat and Instagram. Here, in this article, you will know about the consequences of social media porn.

• Part 1. Effects of Social Media Porn Exposure on Children and Teenagers
• Part 2. Managing Social Media Risks for Kids
• Part 3. How Should Parents Talk about Porn with Their Kids
• Part 4. Age Requirements of Social Media Usage
• Part 5. Final Thoughts

Effects of Social Media Porn Exposure on Children and Teenagers

The earlier exposure to pornography by adolescents is associated with stronger permissive sexual attitudes such as premarital sex and casual sex.

Shreds of evidence have shown that exposure to porn addiction increases the likelihood of earlier first-time sexual experiences. It is more common in those adolescents who are indulged in pornography more frequently.

Earlier exposure to adult content can influence young adults’ expectations about sex. For instance, they expect their partners to do what they watch in those videos but in practical life, it is far from reality.

Gaps between expectations and realities can produce sexual anxieties about one's sexual knowledge and behavior, which may lead to discomfort with sexuality, inhibitions in sexual relationships, and difficulty experiencing pleasure.

The content regarding sexuality displayed on social media tends to convey depictions of males as dominant, aggressive initiators of sex while portraying females as passive recipients of the male's desires.

Further studies findings have shown un-common sexual practices performed by the young generation inspired by dominant hetero pornography.

Social media apps that allow porn may strengthen sexual violence and violence against women. There is evidence of an association between consuming pornography and perpetrating sexual harassment for boys.

Adolescents who consumed violent pornography were six times more likely to be sexually aggressive compared to those who viewed non-violent pornography or no pornography.

Frequent watching of pornography arises from Sexual preoccupation, compulsive consumption, and addiction. While some of the effects of viewing pornography, such as more permissive attitudes and beliefs about sex may not be inherently problematic.

This content contains messages and behaviors about gender, sex, power, and pleasure that are deeply problematic. In particular, physical aggression such as slapping, gagging, choking, hair pulling, and verbal aggression is predominantly done by men to their female partners.

Managing Social Media Risks for Kids

To avoid the potential risks associated with media usage, follow the given preventive measures.

Preventive measures

Social media has become such an integral part of people's lives that it isn't uncommon for some users to forget the things they share are available for almost anyone to access if found by someone with ill intentions.

Teach your child why sharing certain kinds of information can put them at risk and how unsafe information could also affect you (their parent).

Make sure they're not posting any personal details, including phone numbers, addresses, or check-ins. It's important to remember that no one should ever post any information about themselves that may be considered a safety hazard.

Block inappropriate apps and websites with KidsGuard

"KidsGuard" is here to help parents keep their children safe online by controlling what websites they visit and offering protection against cyberbullying, identity theft, and online predators.

A nifty feature offered by KidsGuard is that it lets parents control the amount of time their child can spend on devices such as tablets or smartphones.

Parents can keep an eye on their kids if they get to indulge in unfair activities on their cell phones and avoid homework.

Features of KidsGuard Parental Control App

• Block inappropriate games, websites to create a safe online environment
• Capture kids' devices screen to know what they are doing
• Track kids in real time and view their location history
• Filter Calls to protect kids away from being harassed by scams
• Receive detailed daily, weekly, and monthly reports of your child's online activity

Set social media guidelines

Try to set up rules that enable your child to make safe and smart decisions on social media. Setting up rules for your children is a great way for them to learn about safety, responsibility, and accountability.

However, try not to make the rules too unyielding, or else it could lead one's child to go against them out of spite or if they feel like they don't have a choice. Rules shouldn't be too restrictive as it leaves little room for freedom of expression and creativity.

First, establish a plan for your child to follow when using social media at various times of the day on multiple different devices.

This will also help prepare your child to establish positive habits and abiding discipline as they grow into adulthood.

The fun part is creating the kind of rule or guidelines for your child that you think would be appropriate for their unique personality and goals. Strategies like this are preventative measures that will likely be well received.

Set private profile

Keep your child’s profile set to private. Always make sure that your child's account is configured to private, which means that only people they have friended will be able to view their content.

This one simple step will ensure their privacy and help keep them safe from potentially dangerous users who may try to contact them.

For more information, feel free to talk with someone from our team instantly by starting a live chat or sending us an email.

How Should Parents Talk about Porn with Their Kids

Most parents expect that they will always have 'the birds and the bees' talk with their child. However, it may come as a surprise that we also might need to have to talk about sex with our child too as our children live in today where sex is all around us – on TV, online, and all over social media.

In your discussion with your teen about sex, you must make sure he or she gets the message that real-life sex rarely resembles something one might see on porn sites.

Make sure they know that pornography is a fantasy. Their bodies are often altered for entertainment to look a certain way.

If you are unsure about how to approach the subject with your kid, you can ask for help and advice from someone who is an expert in that area such as their pediatrician or school counselor. For example, a pediatrician is an expert when it comes to your child's overall health.

Related Read: How to Block Porn Sites to Protect your Children?

Age Requirements of Social Media Usage

Nearly all social networking sites only allow users aged 13 and older. This restriction is imposed on the sites by US law through the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act.

The act was first ordered to require sites to seek "verifiable parental consent" for younger users, and then restrict how personal data could be used. But recently many apps decided it wouldn't be worthwhile, the BBC reports.

Facebook and the photo-sharing site Instagram both require users to be at least 13 years old before they can create an account. In some jurisdictions, this age limit may be higher.

Twitter says you must be at least "13-years -old to use its services". At first, Snapchat restricted anyone under the age of 13 from using its site but now you'd have to be at least 17.

Final Thoughts

Without any doubt the digital world has made our children more and more tech-savvy, parents must maintain a vigilant sense of security when it comes to kids' online presence. While having the ability to be instantly connected to the world around you, it also opens up a whole new world of risks.

From predators to cyberbullies to pornography, a child's misuse of a social network can have serious consequences. All social media apps that allow porn should be strictly observed. Setting a social media guideline and strong security passwords can minimize the risks.