ANY PARENTS may feel they have a fair idea of their child's activities online because they are aware of how they use social media platforms like Facebook.
The truth is, Facebook is no longer the hottest trend for teens. The latest craze comes from the use of the application called Instagram and while it seems at first sight that this is only a simple and practical way to share photos with your friends, there is actually a lot more to it than that.
It's like an extension of Facebook.
Facebook actually bought Instagram for 1 billion dollars and the truth is that this application is basically like a training course for kids to introduce them to social media networking. It allows people to share photos and like, comment and check out what their contacts are doing at the same time.
The most impressive thing about Instagram is that many kids said they don't even care much about Facebook any more since Instagram gives them everything they want and need.
1. INSTAGRAM IS INCREDIBLY FAST
The process of sharing a photo on Instagram is way faster than what you would have to do to share it on a regular social media site such as Facebook. With Instagram you can take a photo on your phone and immediately publish it on your Instagram account. If you 'like' a photo posted by someone you follow, all you have to do is give it a double tap and you've 'liked' it! This is the kind of extreme accessibility that attracts people this network.
2. EVEN THE MOST PRIVATE SETTINGS WILL STILL REVEAL PERSONAL INFORMATION
With two privacy settings for this application, it has become very obvious that if you chose the highest setting of privacy you will still leave a lot of personal information vulnerable. Everyone will be able to see the contents of your bio and there are many creepy people out there who could be stalking your children. We have all heard about these kids who are stalked and then even tracked down to their very homes said stalkers. You need to make sure your child is being safe about their use of Instagram and how much information they are sharing on their bio.
3. REAL FRIENDS v ONLINE FRIENDS
There is a very big difference between being friends with someone that you have known for decades and being 'friends' with someone that you have only known from online interaction. This is even more dangerous when your kids start adding just about anyone to their Instagram list just for the sake of getting a larger list of 'friends' because this makes them feel special. Make sure that they understand the dangers associated with doing this.
4. INSTAGRAM IS VERY ADDICTIVE
Instagram has become addictive for a lot of people and there are kids who will spend hours every day browsing through photos and commenting on photos they like. This is something that can really start to have a negative affect on their life outside their phone. You should keep a close eye on this kind of behavior.
5. WHAT YOU NEED TO DO
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