Social Media Safety for Youth in 2025: Protecting the Next Generation

Ensuring a safe online experience for young users

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Natalie Lukich, LMHC, LCPC, CSC

Understanding Social Media Platforms

Kiddos and social media affects on the brain

• https://youtu.be/5YOmhEgxn0c?si=71MqpjsIqz38EayR

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Study Results

University of South Florida Study 2025

• Children who have their own smartphones fared better than kids who don’t on nearly every measure of wellbeing assessed. Kids with smartphones were less likely to report depression and anxiety symptoms, and more likely to spend time in-person with friends and report feeling good about themselves than kids who don’t have their own smartphones.
• Efforts to limit digital media use among kids don’t appear to be working, as more than 70 percent of 11-year-olds surveyed have their own smartphone, with many acquiring them by the age of eight and a half.
• Posting publicly to social media was associated with multiple harms. Children who often post to social media platforms were twice as likely as those who never or rarely post to report moderate or severe symptoms of depression (54% vs. 25%), moderate or severe symptoms of anxiety (50% vs. 24%) and having sleep issues.
• Even the smallest amount of cyberbullying – being called a mean or hurtful name online – is associated with adverse outcomes. Nearly six in ten respondents said they endured a form of cyberbullying in the past three months. Those children were more likely than un-bullied kids to report feeling depressed most days in the past year (32% vs. 11%), getting angry and losing their temper (36% vs. 10%), and finding it hard to stop using technology (64% vs. 45%).

More study findings…

• Allowing children as young as 11 to have their own smartphone is likely fine and may be beneficial.
• Parents should discourage young children from posting publicly on social platforms. Parents should also be on alert for the slightest signs of cyberbullying, which is prevalent and harmful.
• Don’t let kids sleep with their smartphones. One in four kids surveyed sleep with a smartphone in their hand or in bed. Children who keep their phones in their bed don’t get enough sleep compared to those who sleep with phones in another room (8.6 vs. 9.3 hours on average).

Popular Platforms Among Youth

Instagram

Instagram is popular among youth for its visual content, featuring photos and stories that allow for creative expression.

Misinformation goes viral through stories and posts. Instagram’s attention-grabbing headlines and captivating graphics make it harder and harder for users to discern fact from fiction.

Snapchat

Snapchat offers unique features like ephemeral messaging and fun filters, making it a favorite for casual communication among young users.

Snap keeps everyone laughing, and the door locked shut for privacy. The “Private Stories” feature is helpful because it lets you share funny moments with close friends, without having to worry about others chiming in.

While this is a wonderful way to express yourself to a small group of people, it can also be a way to get yourself into some trouble.

Many teens believe that because it’s called a “private” story, they can post anything they want and only that small group of friends will see it. Please be careful! It is so important to remember that social media doesn’t go away, even if it “disappears” in 24 hours. Teens, have their own hacks and devices that can screenshot or capture someone’s post without them knowing. One screenshot is enough to circulate throughout an entire school.

TikTok

TikTok is known for its short, engaging videos that often go viral, attracting youth interested in entertainment and creativity.

The Good: Pure entertainment. Whether bonding with friends over hilarious memes or oddly satisfying cake decorating tutorials, watching TikTok is a fun way to escape a tough day. While this can mean it is filled with funny videos that you love, it can also inundate you with triggering, negative content that can alter your mood within seconds. TikTok may feed you content filled with hate speech or harmful actions, depending on what TikTok believes you want to see.

On the bright side, TikTok has attempted to address this problem by adding features and updating community guidelines that prevent some harmful content. Specifically, if a user searches for “eating disorder” or “don’t eat,” TikTok loads the number to the National Alliance for Eating Disorders instead of any harmful videos.

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YouTube

YouTube remains a dominant platform for video content, where youth watch tutorials, vlogs, and entertainment content.

These can be anything, made by anyone. There are thousands of very helpful video’s as we all know, but check sources and advise kiddos to do the same. YouTube is not the news.

New Emerging Platforms

1. Noplace

Noplace is a new social media platform aimed at a Gen Z audience. Referred to as a “mashup of Twitter and Myspace for Gen Z”, it’s a colorful social app focused on text updates. Users can create customized profiles (change background colors, add tags) and find new friends based on common interests. App experience offers 2 feeds, one global feed which is the same for everyone on the app, and another personalized with friends only.

2. Ten Ten

Ten Ten is a walkie-talkie app designed for teen audiences to send voice messages to their close friends. Ten Ten hit 6 million downloads on Google Play in 6 months since its app release (its Android app was released in January 2024

3. BeReal

BeReal works as a photo-sharing app, allowing users to post one unfiltered photo per day to show their activities to their followers. The app alerts users randomly during the day to post a picture in 2 minutes. 12% of young adults ages 18 to 29 in the US report using BeReal.

4. Threads

Threads is a new social media platform from Meta focused on sharing text updates, similar to the X/Twitter experience. Messages published on Threads have a character limit of 500 words, profiles can be set to public or private and there’s an integration allowing users to share Threads posts to Instagram directly.

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5. Airchat

Airchat is an audio social network encouraging users to “just talk”. Described as a combination of “X/Twitter and Clubhouse”, instead of a text-based format, users share voice notes and the app automatically transcribes recordings. On Airchat, the feed consists of a combination of text and audio snippets.

6. Yik Yak

Yik Yak is a pseudonymous social media platform, popular with college students. The app is designed for location-specific sharing, enabling users to share messages, referred to as “yaks,” to anyone within a five-mile radius. Yik Yak had over 3.5 million iOS downloads since 2021.

7. Coverstar

Coverstar claims to offer a “safe TikTok alternative”. According to developers, content is consistently monitored and no explicit or dangerous content is allowed. Furthermore, the social platform doesn’t support direct messages for safety reasons.

8. Jagat

Jagat offers a location-based social media platform. Jagat provides an interactive map interface, which enables users to check friends’ locations in real-time, their status updates, and discover activities in the local area. According to the company, Gen Z makes up approximately 85% of the Jagat user base.

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9. Fizz

Fizz is an anonymous social network for college students. The network allows users to join private school communities for communication where they can share posts anonymously. On top of social networking, Fizz offers an online marketplace integrated into the app to sell and buy items among students on the campus. According to the startup, 50,000 listings were posted on the marketplace to date.

10. Lemon8

Lemon8 is a photo-centric social media platform from TikTok’s parent company (Bytedance). With elements of Pinterest and Instagram, Lemon8 markets itself as a “lifestyle content community”. Lemon8 allows users to edit photos, videos, post content, and discover new content in one app. According to Appfigures estimates, Lemon8 was downloaded 18.7 million times worldwide across the App Store and Google Play in

11. Lapse

Lapse positions itself as an “app that turns your iPhone into a disposable camera”. When taking a picture, users have to wait 1 to 3 hours for photos to “develop in the darkroom”, a filter giving a vintage look is automatically added. Once pictures are taken, photos can be shared with friends or added to “journals”. Lapse hit 1.3 million downloads worldwide in 2024 (as of October).

12. Bluesky

Bluesky is a text-based social media platform, considered as an alternative to X/Twitter. Posts shared on the platform have a limit of 300 words and can include pictures.

Other things to remember

• Our own social media accounts and how they affect our youth
• Social media is not the same as calling or texting on your phone, and all may help interconnectedness.
• Social media platforms can help increase educational resources
• Social awareness and activism – gives them a platform, youth today are more engaged
• Creativity and self-expression – help find identity (Shawn Mendez)
• Career development and Networking
• Social media can be on many devices!

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A teens voice

“Even though social media has many downsides, I do strongly believe that adults don’t always give teens enough credit when it comes to understanding how to safely navigate these social media platforms. Many assume we are clueless about the dangers of social media, but my friends and I are actually incredibly aware of the risks and constantly take steps to protect ourselves. We have learned how to filter content, block, report and we are always sharing tips with each other on how to avoid creepy interactions, misinformation, and scams.

Yes, social media is undoubtedly overwhelming, but as consumers, we are not passive – we are conscious users who know how to manage and navigate our online experiences.

That being said, it’s impossible to ignore the fact that social media was designed to be addictive and sometimes even the most mindful, conscious users find it hard to break away from the screen. The endless scrolling, constant notifications, and tailored content make it tough to log off. I can willingly admit that I’ve found myself stuck in a loop of checking one app after another just to look at the time and realize a couple hours have flown by. Some of my friends have incredible self control and are able to take some social media breaks, but for many of us – including adults – it’s a constant struggle to disconnect.

Social media companies know exactly how to keep us engaged and even though we love to think we have self control, the truth is that most of us are caught in the cycle of overuse. The challenge is figuring out how to break free or find a balance. ”

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-Sameer Hinduja (17),

Center for Cyberbullying

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Strategies for Ensuring Safety

Monitoring and Parental Involvement

Importance of Parental Monitoring

Active parental involvement helps to enhance children's security while navigating online spaces, providing them guidance and support.

Open Discussions on Social Media

Engaging in open conversations about social media use can help children understand associated risks and develop healthy habits.

Risks of Social Media Use

Understanding the potential dangers of social media enables parents to guide their children in safe online practices.

General safety tips

Video to share with kiddos

• https://youtu.be/HxySrSbSY7o?si=LmqAobSTbdDHHOLR

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Tips for protecting your social media privacy�

• Read the social media site’s terms
• Don’t share private information like your full name and address
• Be careful about posting photos on social media sites
• Adjust the social media platform’s privacy settings
• Know what types of personal data social media sites store and share
• Consider carefully what personal details you provide in your profile
• Don’t display the names of the people in your network

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To prevent inappropriate content you can:

• Set up parental controls on your home internet.
• Turn on safe search on search engines.
• Encourage your child to use child-friendly search engines.
• Install Captchas.
• Require users to sign up before posting.
• Install adult-language filters to proactively prevent inappropriate content.
• Block unsavory websites and ads on your devices, browsers, and apps.
• Sensitize your child to inappropriate content if they have access to all the devices at home.
• Ensure that all unwanted apps are uninstalled before any device is handed over to them.
• Be aware and make your child aware of the effects of sharing and viewing, downloading, or clicking on inappropriate content.

Warning Signs a Child is Being Cyberbullied or is Cyberbullying Others�

Many of the warning signs that cyberbullying is occurring happen around a child’s use of their device. Some of the warning signs that a child may be involved in cyberbullying are:

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• Noticeable increases or decreases in device use, including texting.
• A child exhibits emotional responses (laughter, anger, upset) to what is happening on their device.
• A child hides their screen or device when others are near and avoids discussion about what they are doing on their device.
• Social media accounts are shut down or new ones appear.
• A child starts to avoid social situations, even those that were enjoyed in the past.
• A child becomes withdrawn, depressed, or loses interest in people and activities.

What to do if Cyberbullying happens…�

• Notice – Recognize if there has been a change in mood or behavior and explore what the cause might be. Try to determine if these changes happen around a child’s use of their digital devices.
• Talk – Ask questions to learn what is happening, how it started, and who is involved.
• Document – Keep a record of what is happening and where. Take screenshots of harmful posts or content if possible. Most laws and policies note that bullying is a repeated behavior, so records help to document it.
• Report – Most social media platforms and schools have clear policies and reporting processes. If a classmate is cyberbullying, report it the school. You can also contact app or social media platforms to report offensive content and have it removed. If a child has received physical threats, or if a potential crime or illegal behavior is occurring, report it to the police.
• Support – Peers, mentors, and trusted adults can sometimes intervene publicly to positively influence a situation where negative or hurtful content posts about a child. Public Intervention can include posting positive comments about the person targeted with bullying to try to shift the conversation in a positive direction. It can also help to reach out to the child who is bullying and the target of the bullying to express your concern. If possible, try to determine if more professional support is needed for those involved, such as speaking with a guidance counselor or mental health professional. 

Red Flags for Predators/Catfishing

• Ask your child, “If you wanted to get someone to trust you would you act extra kind or would you act cruelly?” 
• Based on their response, tell them that online predators don’t  act like “bad guys” they may seem like another kid or just a really friendly person. Some adults predators may even send fake pictures to convince you that they are kids too - anyone can send any picture online.�

Online predators…

• Act really nicely and give lots of compliments
• They show up every time you are online
• They ask you for a lot of personal information 
• They promise favors and gifts
• Try to create a romantic relationship or mentor relationship
• They tell you to keep the relationship secret
• They contact you through multiple platforms and services - or try to take the chat from a public chat to a private messenger 
• They initiate intimate discussions about the child’s appearance 
• They insist on meeting face to face
• They threaten you or your family if they don’t get what they want from you

Source: National Center for Missing and Exploited Children 

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Signs to look for…

It can be hard to know what a child is up to online. This is why it’s so important to have these conversations ahead of time and to let your child know that they can always come to you.

A child who is experiencing online enticement may be: 

• Spending increasing time online. 
• Getting upset when he or she is not allowed on their device. 
• Taking extra steps to conceal what they are doing online. 
• Receiving gifts from people you don’t know.

Assure your child that no matter what you will not be angry with them. You will support them and help them to take care of the situation. They never need to feel ashamed - even if they’ve already been talking with someone and they feel they shouldn’t have.

Check in often with your kids to find out what they are up to online and if you suspect your child is in danger do not hesitate to look at their online conversations - your child’s wellbeing is the priority.

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WHAT TO DO IF YOUR CHILD IS STUCK IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH AN ONLINE PREDATOR:�

If your child is in a predatory relationship do the following:

• Screenshot as much of their conversation as you can for evidence
• Report the predator to the platform they are using to contact your child
• Block the predator from all platforms
• Report to your local police
• Contact the Center for Missing and Exploited Children

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Educating Youth About Online Etiquette

Respectful Communication

Teaching youth to communicate respectfully online promotes positive interactions and prevents misunderstandings.

Recognizing Red Flags

Educating young users on recognizing red flags helps protect them from online dangers and negative experiences.

Fostering Positive Online Experience

Empowering youth with knowledge of online etiquette fosters a safer and more enjoyable online environment for all.

Tools and Resources for Safe Social Media Use

Safety Features Provided by Platforms

TikTok

“For You” feed: The For You feed is curated to fit each user’s interests and behavior. As kids interact with the platform—watch videos, search for keywords, and explore new hashtags—the algorithm caters to their preferences and serves customized content.

“Following” feed: Just like it sounds, the Following feed displays the TikTok accounts your kid is following. It’s a good idea to make sure this list is made up of accounts you deem appropriate for your child—including friends and people they know.

Challenges: Challenges encourage users to record themselves doing something humorous, vulnerable, or difficult and share these videos—persuading others to do the same. Most of the time, these challenges are all in good fun, but others can promote harmful behaviors that could lead to serious injuries.

TikTok Shop: Now, users can buy products directly from the TikTok app. The Shop feed is essentially a modern version of the QVC channel where anyone can browse items or watch content with product tags from their For You, Following, and LIVE feeds (see below). Users can even find products with the search bar—or even take a photo of something to find similar products available for purchase on the app.

TikTok Live: Like Facebook or Instagram Live, TikTok Live lets users interact in real-time. Creators use this feature to host live videos to interact with their followers—it’s kind of like pretending you’re in the same room with them. Brands may use Live for sales or giveaways. Live is only available for users over the age of 18.

Explore page: The Explore page (available on the web version of TikTok) is where users can find videos by categories, including Lip-sync, Animals, Outfits, and more.

In-feed ads: Unlike ads on other video apps, TikTok ads feel more “native” and organic. In-feed ads look just like regular TikTok videos and automatically play as users scroll through their feeds. For example, advertisers might feature well-known influencers to promote popular video games or beauty products.

QR code: TikTok gives every user a unique QR code to make it easier to follow each other. Instead of manually typing in a person’s handle, kids can swap profiles by pulling up their QR codes and asking friends to scan them like they would a QR code.

Duet and Stitch: Duets are two TikTok videos playing in a split-screen format using the same audio. Stitch offers another way for users to add their own flair to someone else’s content. You can clip and “stitch” scenes from another person’s video together to make an entirely new video. Stitch is only available for TikTok users who are 16 or older.

Reaction Videos: Within TikTok, users can record videos of themselves watching another person’s video. The idea is to show their spontaneous reactions to a video—whether it’s surprise, laughter, or shock.

Hashtags: Just like other social media apps, TikTok hashtags help users discover trending content from accounts and users who they don’t follow yet.

TikTok

Connect your TikTok account (Family Pairing).

With TikTok’s Family Pairing function, parents can link their TikTok accounts to their kids’ accounts. This will help you view and activate multiple content and privacy control settings, including:

Daily screen time: Set time limits for TikTok.

Restricted Mode: Reduce the risk of exposure to mature content.

Search: Prevent your kid from searching for certain hashtags or videos.

Discoverability: Set your child’s account to Private so they can approve or reject follow requests.

Suggest account to others: Choose whether your teen’s account can be suggested to other users.

Direct Messages (DMs): Limit who can send messages to your child or turn off DMs completely. DMs should default to “off” for account holders under 16.

Liked videos: Limit who can see your kid’s “liked” videos.

Comments: Limit who can comment on your kid’s videos.

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How to set up Family Pairing.

Click on your profile and tap the Menu button.

Tap Settings and Privacy to find Family Pairing.

Select Teen or Parent before following the prompts to link both accounts.

Keep in mind: TikTok’s Family Pairing is only available on the TikTok mobile app—you won’t be able to use this feature by looking at the web-based version on mobile or desktop browsers. You’ll want to download the TikTok app onto your phone, create an account, then set up Family Pairing.

In 2019, TikTok released TikTok for Younger Users, a limited app experience for TikTok users under the age of 13. This age-gated environment:

Doesn’t share user data.

Uses ultra careful content restrictions.

Prevents interactions like commenting, direct messaging, sharing, and maintaining followers.

TikTok also has a 12+ age rating with the Apple App Store and Google Play. If parents activate parental controls on their child’s iPhone or Android, that rating will intrinsically block kids from downloading TikTok on their phones.

Snapchat

• Standard reporting and blocking features
• Ability to turn off location
• Family Center, an in-app tool that allows parents to see who their child is friends with on Snapchat, including new friends, and who their child has been messaging, sending photos or videos to in the last week. Parents can report any suspicious or concerning accounts to Snapchat’s trust and safety teams.
• Protections against unwanted contact, zero tolerance for severe harms, age-appropriate content for Snapchat teens, strong default settings for teens, and quick and simple reporting tools.

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Instagram

• Instagram’s Parent’s Guide and Family Center
• Age-Verification Process
• Two-Factor Authentication
• Account Privacy
• Removal of Third-Party Apps and Websites
• Protection of DMs
• Text-Only DMs
• Restrict Feature
• Teen/Child specific accounts

Third-Party Apps and Tools

Enhancing Online Safety

Third-party applications are essential for improving online safety by providing users with the tools they need to protect themselves.

Activity Monitoring

These tools help monitor online activity, ensuring users are aware of their digital footprint and potential risks.

Safe Online Behavior Insights

Insights provided by these applications guide users toward safer online practices and behaviors.

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Be careful to check the security of any third-party site as it may be less secure that some of the larger ones.

Third Party Apps

Ways to control apps:

Aura

Bark

Qustodio

mSpy

Parentaler

eyeZy

uMobix

Our Pact

Family Link – Google

Internet providers have their own limits/controls.

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Safer Social Media Apps:

Zigazoo

Azoomee

Kinzoo

GeckoLife

PK XD

Grom Social

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Conclusion