Shielding Innocence: Preventing Exposure To Graphic Content On Social Media

We cannot deny that social media has become part of our daily lives, for us parents and for our children. We also can’t ignore that, at some point, we have given our kids an electronic device to keep them entertained when we want a moment to ourselves.

The internet provides a wealth of information and entertainment, from Netflix documentaries and endless streams of Cocomelon to social media. However, it also has a darker side, which presents a significant challenge for parents to manage what their children consume.

In fact, giving our kids free rein to internet connectivity isn’t such a brilliant idea after all.

Why? 

Horrific consequences lurk beneath the surface, even when social media is used just to chat with friends and family. These dangers include exposure to graphic and explicit content, predatory threats, and chasing unrealistic illusions.

Luckily, we’ll discuss all of the above in this article.

Let’s dive in.

How Kids Are Exposed To Shocking And Graphic Content On Social Media

Most social media platforms, like Snapchat, Pinterest, and Twitch, ask newcomers to select their interests when setting up an account. This could be things like dance, art tutorials, celebrities, online gaming, etc. Sophisticated algorithms use these preferences to generate and present related content to our children. 

Sounds harmless enough, right?

Think again! Issues could arise when kids join common social networking groups, partake in viral trends (e.g. TikTok’s 2020 Skull Breaker Challenge) or start following certain influencers. What may begin as innocent exploration can lead to exposure to inappropriate content due to algorithmic errors. 

Let us explain: Kids’ initial interest selections can become diluted or lost amid the overwhelming digital feeds. Algorithms may group common interests under an umbrella category, allowing explicit, unrelated content to seep through.

For example, a child interested in photography might end up seeing graphic images that resemble pornography because the algorithm misinterprets (or groups) a common interest.

How do algorithms work?

• Likes, shares and comments: Engagement metrics indicate which posts users (i.e. our kids) interact with the most. This is calculated on the number of likes, shares, and comments.
• Search history: Keywords, phrases, and hashtags that our kids use provide insights into their interests and preferences. For instance, they might search terms like “murder” or “abuse” out of curiosity, and potentially be exposed to disturbing, graphic content. 
• Watch time: Algorithms track how long users spend viewing videos, reels, or posts. Longer watch times signal greater interest in the topic, prompting algorithms to show similar content.
• Followed accounts: The pages, groups, and profiles our kids follow are monitored by these advanced algorithms, influencing the content that appears in their feeds. This can also be affected by what is shared via in-app chats between friends and followers.

To put it bluntly: The danger of social networking algorithms lies in their tendency to favour engagement over common sense. Their goal is to boost traffic to these sites or posts through likes and shares without thinking about who is consuming them. 

The sad part? Users are kept glued to their screens with content that might be shocking or emotionally charged, even if it’s not age-appropriate. Kids are naturally curious, so looking at these explicit images might be exciting.

Reports of peer pressure also pose another significant risk factor for kids. Children as young as 10 feel pressured not only to view graphic content online but also to find it funny to get kudos from their peers.

Pretty scary, huh?

The Risks Involved

Here’s what graphic content exposure on social media can lead to:

• Desensitisation: Repeated exposure to graphic content can make children less sensitive to violence, hate speech and disturbing imagery in the real world.
• Long-term implications: This desensitisation can hinder emotional development, reduce empathy and cause health issues such as anxiety, depression, and sleep problems.

Inappropriate Content Kids Commonly Encounter

Here’s a list of inappropriate content kids around the globe could encounter online:

• Violence: This includes fight videos, real-life violence footage and graphic depictions from controversial video games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.
• Hate speech and racism: Content promoting discrimination or hatred based on race, religion, or sexual orientation.
• Nudity and sexual content: This can range from sexually suggestive imagery to explicit pornography.
• Self-harm and suicide content: Graphic depictions of self-harm acts or suicidal ideation.

Dame Rachel de Souza, England’s Children’s Commissioner, revealed that surveys had shown that three-quarters of a group aged 15 and 16 had been sent a beheading video via social networking channels. 

De Souza also found that over 40% of children interviewed regularly came across content they felt harmful or upsetting, such as:

• Sexualised and violent imagery
• Anonymous trolling (a.k.a. cyberbullying)
• Material promoting suicide, self-harm, and eating disorders.

She further explains that these children did not intentionally seek out graphic or explicit content – it simply “popped up” due to the algorithms that drive these platforms.

Parent Tip: Monitoring And Managing Social Media Use

Wondering how you can prevent disturbing content from popping up on your kids’ social feeds? Here are a few proactive steps you can take:

• Open communication: Talk to your children openly and honestly about the potential dangers of social media, [AI-generated content] and the exposure to “not-so-cool” images and accounts. Explain what inappropriate content is and why it might be harmful.
• Age-appropriate accounts: Ensure your children’s social media and online gaming accounts comply with age restrictions. Most platforms have a minimum age requirement of 13 to protect children’s safety.
• Supervision and monitoring: Set clear guidelines and boundaries for social media use. Consider tech-free zones in designated areas and discuss screen time limits. Utilise in-app parental controls and external monitoring tools to assess what your kids are doing online.
• Encourage off-screen activities: Encourage your children to engage in activities that don’t involve a monitor, gaming console, or screen, such as outdoor play, physical meet-ups with mates, club sports, or drama and dance classes.
• Build trust: Let your children know they can come to you if they see something upsetting online, regardless of who is at fault. 
• Promoting positive content: Encourage your children to follow inspiring individuals, educational channels, and accounts promoting healthy lifestyles and positive values. Warn them about the dangers of [chasing illusions] like unrealistic body expectations.

Tools And Resources For Filtering (And Controlling) Explicit Content Exposure

Consider a few of these tools and resources to help filter out social media’s explicit content:

Tools

• Circle – has built-in features to filter explicit content across web browsers, apps, online games, and social media platforms.
• Canopy – filters content within websites, analysing images and videos in real-time to prevent exposure to explicit/inappropriate content, including sexting. 
• Google SafeSearch – helps eliminate explicit content from (Google) search results.

Resources

• ConnectSafely – offers guidebooks, parental tips, workshops, podcasts, and up-to-date information on the latest online threats.
• NSPCC – provides family-focused resources and educational guides to navigate online risks, including social media, online games, and internet-connected devices.
• Twinkl – this platform, created by educators, offers various PowerPoint and downloadable worksheets to explain internet dangers to kids.

Bonus read: [How Social Media is Making Kids Grow Up Too Fast].

Expert Opinions: The Psychological Effects On Children

In a Guardian report, Dr Nihara Krause, consulting clinical psychologist, CEO and founder of London’s stem4 charity, stated: “We need to improve understanding of the potentially compelling impact of social media content, and the reinforcement created through algorithms, on young people’s engagement with apps and their consequent mental health.”

The survey of 1,000+ children aged 12 to 21 found that:

• Four in 10 have mental health issues ranging from anxiety to behavioural problems.
• Nearly one in five are dissatisfied with their bodies.
• 14% experience eating disorders such as restrictive dieting, binge eating, and purging/vomiting. 

These shocking statistics not only highlight the potential health problems of the younger generation but show just how important it is for us parents to monitor our kids’ social media usage.

The Conversation Continues

We’d love to hear from you.

How do you shield your children from the potential dangers of social media, online games, and other internet-based activities? Do you encourage tech-free zones at home? Or have you already installed content-filtering software on their devices?

Share your thoughts, tips, and experiences in the comments below.

We’d love to hear what you think…