Young People Face on The Internet – 92% of adolescents between 13 and 17 years old surf the Internet every day. These young people live in a totally different world. Than the teenagers of 20 years ago. And parents often have no idea what their children can do online.

The convenience provided by smartphones, electronic books, tablets, smart televisions, in short, all the devices with which today’s young people interact every day, facilitate their access to the Internet. And with the rise of social networks, their activity skyrockets, and 71% of adolescents already have accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, etc.

Young People Face on The Internet

Double-Edged Weapon

While it’s true that teens’ use of the Internet to socialize has helped prevent risks like exposure to gangs or buying drugs on the streets, not everything is perfect on the Internet. It can even be much more risky, and it’s important to know some of those dangers:

Internet Addiction

This is the use of the Internet to escape negative feelings, continuous use of the Internet despite several attempts to stop, negative feelings when the use of the Internet is impossible, and experiencing personal conflicts due to its use. There is evidence that this addiction can cause a negative academic effect, family problems, physical and mental health problems, among others.

Exposure to sexually explicit material. The fact that the porn sites ask that before entering. The user declares that he is over 18 years old. does not prevent young people from visiting them.

Furthermore, it is now possible to find explicit photos and videos without having to enter a specific site.

Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is bullying that is carried out using electronic means. False rumors, insults, threats, sending malicious messages, embarrassing photos, false profiles, all these practices are part of this type of abuse. Sometimes, kids are bullied for being gay even when they’re straight- since unfortunately, false rumors are very difficult to disprove once they’re out in the open.

Online Bullying

Bullying is one of the dangers of social media. Children and young people are ideal victims for bullies. Since they are willing to talk and share information without thinking about the risks to which they are exposed. Some go so far as to make appointments to meet teenagers personally.

Theft of Information

Teens typically don’t pay much attention to their safety. They are more concerned with their personal affairs than with protecting your information. This makes them perfect victims since they usually publish personal data on their social networks, which are easy to access. Identity theft and money theft are just some of the consequences that can affect them.

Talk To Your Kids

Most parents do not review what their children are doing while browsing the Internet. But others know their child’s social media passwords or install parental controls on their computers.

If you have not previously done so, it is important to talk to them about the possible risks they face and how important it is to prevent theft of personal and bank data. Talk to them about the dangers of coming into contact with strangers and show them real cases of what could happen to them if they are not careful.

If you have doubts about whether your family’s information has already been out to some type of threat. some tools alert you to possible risks and help you prevent attacks. They alert you if they find suspicious activity and help you create strategies to make your data safe.