5 Instagram Safety Tips For Teens

• October 31, 2018
• Everett Burns

Smviews.com

5 Instagram Safety Tips For Teens

Social media is an ever-changing environment with new and better applications taking over the old ones and attracting youth and old alike. Today is the time of Instagram, and it has attracted the youth especially teen like never before. Instagram has replaced facebook as the teen capitol of the globe. Today teens are into being influencers and general surfers on Instagram. They find it rather cool place to hang out with friend’s online, share their pictures get appreciation and meet new friends. All the teen stuff.

But as every popular online trend this too has its negative implications. Cyber bullying, online harassment, stalking and luring teens into illegal activities like trafficking, drugs and prostitution is getting increased through Instagram. Teens being naïve fall easily for these traps and get into some real problem. Cyber bullying is now being recognized as a serious online social media problem by societies and is being addressed in schools, colleges and help groups.

So how can we avoid getting into these kind of troubles on Instagram? We would be discussing some points for safety on Instagram for teens. So here are the 5 safety tips for Teens to be safe and secure on Instagram and enjoy it.

1. Make Use Of Privacy Settings:

There are privacy settings on Instagram that permit you to see who visits and adhere you. Through privacy setting you determine who follows you and who not. In this manner you can filter out the unwanted users that have malicious intentions. Without privacy setting on anyone can follow you and so get a look at your postings and locations, which can be pretty dangerous. Without privacy settings anyone can go through your pictures and misuse them. If you have your privacy settings on only the person you approve off can be your follower and look into your posts and profile.

2. Customizing Your Profile Picture

If you are a teen and you use your real face picture it could be really a mess for you unless you want to be a influencer. Then that would be a complete different matter. But if you are on Instagram for social fun and mingling, then using your real picture can attract unwanted bullies or sexual predators to you.
There are many cases in which the teens were sexually harassed and molested because of the open and open to all profile picture of self. You should also avoid using your full name, school’s name or any other personal details on profile which easily by a simple Google search could lead to you. So better avoid the self-picture or if you want to use it don’t share personal information on Instagram. Which could mean disaster.

3. Avoid Sharing Location On Instagram

Another most important information that should be completely avoided. This is a really serious issue and can really put you in harms space. Cyber bulling and cyber sexual assault is real and there are numerous cases where the predators with the help of location tag on Instagram have located the perpetual teen prey and kidnapped or harassed the victim. This also makes you venerable to theft and burglary as if the person knows your location and you show a location very far, the thief would barge the house knowing your absence and rob you. The location sharing on Instagram can make you traceable to the last dot on map and can pinpoint your location to the maniac.

4. Unknown Followers Should Be Avoided:

Unless of course you want to be an influencer. Predators and cyber bullies are always looking for vulnerable underage boys and girls for their feast. So they search and send friend request to teenagers. So as a practice you should completely avoid any stranger or unknown person sending you following request. Even if you find that profile to be of any small girl or boy or any harmless looking person. As a common practice these unscrupulous beast often create profiles using pleasant pictures and present themselves as opposite genders, so a profile showing a girl of 15 years can infact be a full grown man of 52 years with evil intentions.

5. Feel Always Free To Take Parents:

Parents are the one people you can trust your life with. So whenever you feel threatened or feel bullied or sense something is not right, feel free to discuss with parents and confine in them. Often the teens end up in disastrous situations is because they didn’t open up to parents or guardians when trouble brew up. Parents have life experience and can really help you with any mess. Plus they can sense the harm more, so if anyone is crossing the limit they can comfort that person and even legally confesticate that person.

Having your folks check your device may be annoying or cause you to want you’re being controlled. I unlikeable it for a jiffy, however if one thing is wrong, it’s higher to own your folks fathom it and have them there to assist you.

Parents Need To Be Vigilant Also:

Dear parents we are living in a digital social media age. We cannot deny social media to children it is nearly impossible and can make teens revolt. But you do can be a friend and can watch cautiously over your child’s social media activity. I would suggest you too be active on social media and understand the friend circle or followers circle your son or daughter and be vigilant on that. The only thing needed is being alert and available. Your child needs your help and guidance whenever he or she faces any cyber bullying or harassment. If you are critical and adamant they would not come to you for help, instead fall prey to some other dubious individual who can further take advantage of your child.

So all we need as a parent is little extra mile towards technology and understanding the though process of today’s teens. Instagram and other social media applications if used correctly are really beneficial and your child can actually make a carrier out of it. So be cautious and at the same time be accommodating.

original article at smviews.com