Should Parents Allow Teens to Follow Social Media Influencers?

Not a day goes by when teens and adults don’t hop on social media. It has become an indispensable tool for modern-day life. People now use social media to become an influencer so they can show off their talent, promote brands, gain fame, and make money at the same time. However, the amount of exposure that comes with it can be overwhelming for teens and raises concerns about whether parents must allow their teens to follow social media influencers or not.

What Are Social Media Influencers?

People who are popular on social media platforms, have thousands (if not millions) of followers, and have the power to sway public opinion are called influencers. They often use their popularity to promote brands, products, organizations, causes, etc. They use their fame and content to earn money via social media. Even teens aspire to become social media influencers nowadays. But what exactly makes teens follow these influencers on social media?

Why Do Teens Follow Them?

Not all influencers are the same. Many of them create entertaining content for their viewers. It helps teens relieve their stress, feel as if they can relate to the situation, and get a sense of belonging. However, some people are toxic or create bizarre content. Following such social media influencers can be harmful to teens’ mental health. 

Why Should Parents Monitor Teens’ Social Media?

Allowing teens unsupervised access to social media may lead to unsavory outcomes. They may begin following influencers who are unsuitable for their mental wellbeing. Teens may even develop aggressive or unhealthy behavior/habits. Here are a few reasons why parents must know who their kids follow on social media. 

1. Exposure to Indecent Content

Teens may get exposed to inappropriate content such as profanity, loose talk, bizarre trends, etc. Many influencers create content that either fits their own personality or can help them gain more followers. That means they may even post content that contains language or material that may negatively affect teens’ behavior.

2. Promoting Unhealthy Comparisons & Unrealistic Standards

Many social media influencers promote branded products from various industries, i.e., makeup, clothes, shoes, etc. Some boast about how they have access to a luxurious lifestyle. It is unhealthy and may lead teens to compare or evaluate their lives with other people. They may develop an inferiority or superiority complex, which opens doors for several other behavioral problems. Teens may associate success with materialistic things and become shallow and unhappy adults. In short, they may develop unrealistic lifestyle standards.

The Guide to Monitoring Teens’ Exposure to Social Media Influencers

Parents rightfully get concerned for their kids’ mental health and exposure to unhealthy social media usage. Allowing teens unsupervised access to the internet and social media never leads to anything good. Parents need to monitor who their teens follow on social media and what type of content they watch to prevent their kids from going astray. Here is how parents can do that.

Let FamilyTime Help

FamilyTime parental control app can help you minimize risks posed by social media effectively and efficiently. It offers an easy and remote way to monitor kids’ social media usage and allows parents to limit their interaction with the internet and social media apps. Let’s look at how you can make it happen. 

• YouTube Monitoring

Parents can monitor what content kids watch on YouTube every day, monitor their search and comment history, and limit the amount of time they can spend on this app. 

• TikTok Monitoring

You can also limit the type of content kids can view on TikTok and ensure they don’t get exposed to unsavory things or people.

• Screen Time Limit

Decide how long they can use their screens per day and limit their screen time to prevent technology/social media addiction. 

• Web History

FamilyTime also offers Web History feature that helps monitor what kids do online. It allows parents to take precautionary measures and prevent kids from viewing inappropriate content on the internet.

The FamilyTime app can do a lot more to protect teens and kids from various digital threats. So, visit its website to explore more of its features and sign up if you wish to safeguard teens from the virtual world. Other methods of protecting teens include monitoring which social media influencers they follow across various platforms. Observing that can help parents identify their teens’ interests and help shape their personalities.