It seems like danger is everywhere these days. One thing about these 5 dangers of social media is that they can be totally prevented…finally, some good news.

With so many social media platforms available to our kids and more popping up each day, social media is a very real, mainstream, part of life. Just a few short years ago, many of us found it odd to share life online and give up our privacy in that way. These days, especially to the younger generation, it seems odd not to share anything and everything. In all honesty, there are many benefits to social media, which makes it easy to forget just how dangerous it can be.

5 Dangers of Social Media

With entire life histories placed out in the open, from birth announcements to potty training and beyond, some people find no problem in sharing even the most private details online. This can result in life-long concerns, so it is best to think about these dangers and prepare your kids and teens for the negative consequences of sharing too much.

It’s out there forever.

This is a very important lesson for kids and adults alike to learn. When you put something onto the internet, it remains there forever. There are no time limits. Let’s say that in the heat of the moment, you post a rant about something or someone on your social media page and then you regret your decision to do so. Even if you delete it, there is a chance that someone took a screenshot of it.

There is no way to truly delete it and that can be a horrible thing. These types of actions can always be used against you later in life. Colleges look at social media profiles before deciding on applicants, as do potential employers and insurance companies. Make sure you and your children are well aware of the consequences of what is placed online.

Cyberbullying.

As much as we would like it to be otherwise, there are mean people out there. Unfortunately, many of these mean people love nothing more than to be king of the keyboard and bully someone from behind a screen where they remain anonymous. As I’m sure you have seen on the news, cyberbullying is a big problem with young people these days and it is imperative that you, as parents, are aware of things that are being said between your child and others online.

Stranger danger.

This is not just one of the dangers of social media, we preach it all the time to young kids, “don’t talk to strangers.” The same goes for the online world. There are bad people out there that like to hide behind the screen and befriend kids with hopes of harming them or taking advantage of them.

Location giveaways.

Did you know that digital photos have time and location stamps within them? By posting a photo, you are letting others know exactly where you are (or where you have been). Be sure that any photos that you or your kids share are only shared with people that you know and trust.

Envy of others.

Social media life isn’t real life, this is one of the biggest dangers of social media. Many of us forget that it’s not always a true representation of real life. We spend our time looking at pictures of the seemingly perfect lives of our friends and we can get jealous. It’s hard not to get jealous when you see photos of smiling children, happy relationships, gorgeous homes and amazing vacations.

Just try to remember that rarely will people post about the negative things in life and often, people are overcompensating by posting “happy” photos when there true lives are anything but that.