All Students: Social Media
Social media is as popular as ever, with multiple new social media platforms coming out each month. In 2023, young people have access to hundreds of social media platforms, dating sites, anonymous chat sites, and various other websites and platforms to use.
Apps like Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, and Facebook can take up a portion of our lives. Among young adults and teens, Youtube is the most used social networking site as 95% of young people state they have used it. Among other social media sites, the second most commonly used site was TikTok with over 70% of young people having an account. Instagram had 68%, Facebook and Snapchat both had 60-65%, and other apps like Pinterest, VSCO, and Reddit were all under 40%. Facebook and VSCO are usually checked by young people a couple times each day, Instagram a few more, but Tiktok and Snapchat are often checked several times throughout the day. For some teens and young adults, it's every few minutes.
8 Tips For Social Media Safety In High School and College
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Create a strong password for each of your social media accounts, something no one can guess, and don't give it out.
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Only accept friend/follow requests from people that you know, even if you only know them around school or from the community.
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Click links with extreme caution. Social media accounts are regularly hacked. Look out for language or content that does not sound like something your friend would post/message.
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Don’t reveal sensitive personal information like your home address, financial information, or phone number through social media.
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Customize your privacy settings to control who sees what on your accounts. This can be done easily through setting on most popular social media sites.
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Don't believe everything you read online. People may post false or misleading information about various topics, including their own identities.
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Assume that everything you put on a social networking site is permanent. Colleges and employment offices often look at someones social media and what they post. Some more prestigious colleges are known for it.
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If you wouldn’t say it or do it in public in front of your parents, a college admissions team, or your boss at work, don’t post it online. It will be there forever, even on apps like Snapchat.
Some of the most popular social media sites include:
Social Media Sites: Facebook / Facebook Messenger / Instagram / Snapchat /Twitter (X) / MeetMe / Youtube / Pinterest
WhatsApp / Reddit / WeChat
Top Dating Sites Tinder / Match / Coffee Meets Bagel / OkCupid / PlentyOfFish / Zoosk / Bumble / Boo / MeetMe / eHarmony
Bumble / Hinge / Badoo / Hily Dating App
Snapchat Safety
If you're a teenager or college student, there's a high chance you might have the social media app, Snapchat. Millions of teenagers use the app daily, many of them using it every few minutes. Snapchat is a mobile messaging service that sends a photo or video to someone that lasts only up to 10 seconds before it disappears. During that time, the recipient can take a screen shot, and the sender is notified that it was taken. A feature on Snapchat allows you to keep your exact location on the app so all of your Snapchat friends can see it. Young people may not realize the danger of this. If you keep your location on, this allows people you don't even know to access your exact location if you have added them as a friend. It gives predators and stalkers vital information about your whereabouts.
When you go to your Snapchat app, you can go to your settings and turn your location to 'Ghost Mode' which means that only you can see your location. All of your Snapchat followers won't be able to see it. This is highly recommended for your own safety.
To turn off your location, go to your Snapchat settings page. After you get there, click on See My Location and you will be brought to the next page where you will be able to turn Ghost Mode on.
After you click the See My Location tab, you will be brought to the My Location tab where you can configure your location settings. To turn Ghost Mode on, simply click the switch. After it's turned on, everyone on your Snapchat will not be able to see your location.
How to Filter, Block, and Report Harmful Content on Social Media
Filtering and blocking on social media is a must nowadays. There are too many bots, fake profiles, and creepy things available to be seen online. Blocking someone is important when they make you feel uncomfortable or are acting in a way that is seen as creepy, stalking, or aggressive. Click here to learn how to block people on social media. >