The benefits of the internet cannot be overstated. Today, many workers and companies rely upon the internet for remote positions, team meetings, and otherwise fulfilling business objectives.
With remote work growing in popularity, the use of the internet is likely to remain in higher demand than ever. Social media is also another common and popular subsection of the online world.
This allows people to keep in touch with one another, while also helping businesses acquire customers and otherwise market/promote their products and services.
However, the internet furthermore comes with various downsides. In the cases of teens, unfettered, unmonitored access to the internet can leave them vulnerable to predators looking to take advantage.
Yet, a new poll shows that nearly 50% of teens report rarely being offline, per Newsmax.
A Major Red Flag
46% of teens in the United States are “almost constantly” using the internet, per their own admission to Pew Research Center. By contrast, only 3% of teenagers are online either one time per day or a maximum of just a few times each week.
54% of teens likewise confirm that completely giving up the internet would pose a challenge to them. Only 20% described the prospect of going cold turkey internet-wise as “very easy.”
YouTube tops the 2022 teen online landscape among platforms covered in our new survey, with 95% of teens saying they ever use the platform. TikTok is next on the list (67%), followed by Instagram and Snapchat (62% and 59%, respectively). https://t.co/gy2QbL4qtl pic.twitter.com/WkSbGdyXX5
— Pew Research Center (@pewresearch) August 10, 2022
The amount of teens who are online, and the frequency to which they’re online, has increased drastically since just 2015. This speaks to the growing role that both the internet and technology are having in the lives of people who haven’t even reached adulthood yet.
It also drives home the need for parents to make sure their children are protected from predators online.
Important Information For Parents
With the rise of teens being online comes the rise of predators looking to take advantage.
This can happen through these predatory individuals befriending teens, offering to send them money, pushing for in-person meet-ups, and otherwise looking to groom young people who aren’t aware or suspecting anything.
Let’s get real: what is online grooming? And how does it happen?
We asked a handful of teens about their knowledge of online grooming and experiences on social media – here’s what they said.
Learn more about how you can RISE UP for children at https://t.co/IQwNzw7uNg pic.twitter.com/IYqj61b8Jb
— Operation Underground Railroad (@OURrescue) July 21, 2022
Parents of teens who are regularly online can help protect them by putting in place certain controls on various websites. Another important step parents can take is making sure they’re actively involved in the lives of their teens.
This means knowing who their teens may be talking to via social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, TikTok, etc.
Today, many predators are using the internet against teens via sextortion, human trafficking, etc. When parents have the right defenses in place, they can decrease the likelihood of their kids being exposed to the wrong people.
Are you concerned about the rise of teenagers who are consistently on the internet? Do you believe parents should take extra steps to ensure the safety of their children as they’re online? Let us know what you make of this poll in the comments area.
This article appeared in Watch Dog News and has been published here with permission.
