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The Importance of Anonymous Social Media Post
Reporting

We’re familiar with the slogan, “If you see something, say something.” This is a powerful message, something to think of when you’re scrolling through posts, photos, videos and tweets on your phone and computer.

The community must be vigilant and flag content that causes discomfort. Posts from family and friends offer a glimpse into someone’s life even if they aren’t seen in person very often and sometimes; in addition, there are cries for help.

Facebook has created and made available many resources within their Facebook Safety Center.

In this section of Facebook, users can read more about policies and access tools to make their Facebook experience better. There is also a Parent’s Portal offering expert advice and guidance. Online bullying has also become more prominent and Facebook has also provided teens, parents and educators with tools to help prevent bullying via the Bullying Prevention Hub.

In addition to videos and articles that have been published in partnership with many child experts, as well as the Yale Center of Emotional Intelligence, Facebook enables users to control their Facebook experience.

Users can easily customize their news feeds to “Snooze” friends for 30-days or the ability to “Unfollow” friend’s posts,  which means posts aren’t visible in news feeds but Facebook friendship will remain intact. Posts that a user finds annoying can be easily controlled with these 2 Facebook resources.If a post, video, photo or comment is more offensive in nature, it is advised that it is reported directly to Facebook. This can be done by selecting the 3 dots on the upper right hand of the post and selecting “Give Feedback on This Post”. From there, it’s easy to select a reason and provide additional information. Alternatively, users can fill out a form here. A single report is enough for Facebook to review the content. They don’t just remove it if it was reported a certain amount of times but only if it violates Community Standards.

On Instagram, the process is also similar. Seeing a potentially threatening or suspicious photo or video should be flagged immediately. Users can click on the top right 3 dots and select “Report” which will bring the next screen to select “It’s Spam” or “It’s Inappropriate”. Additional reporting options can be found here.

The Facebook team, which also owns Instagram, has a team of experts dedicated to reviewing content. Many of their backgrounds come from enforcement areas like child and women’s safety and hate speech. The team is global and can review over 40 languages with the help of technology and human review.

Twitter also makes saying something about a tweet easy to do by enabling users to click on the top right and choosing, “Report Tweet” in addition to the other features to control tweets from users. Additional information is located here.

Vanishing content, like what is found on Snapchat, may be difficult for users to report; however Snapchat does have reporting options in place for this reason. When viewing a story, the user is encouraged to press and hold the content to which an option for reporting will show. Alternatively, a form can be filled out online.

Screenshots of any posts – vanishing or not – are always recommended even though the platforms do feature the ability to retrieve deleted posts.

It is always recommended to contact local law enforcement if there is an impending threat to an individual or a group of people. All of these social media platforms do work closely with law enforcement, including government agencies to investigate reports. A reminder that any reports filed do stay anonymous. Don’t dawdle if there is dubious content being published by a friend or family member in the news feed.

Benefits of a Digital Detox for Teens

Your teenager has probably spent lots of time online this summer. You might be noticing that her level of connectivity has become problematic since the school year has begun.

Does this resemble your teen’s routine? At the end of each day, she sets a morning alarm on her iPhone and then checks her Instagram one last time before turning in. Several hours later: the smart phone alarm goes off and before she gets out of bed, she opens the Insta first thing to see what she missed overnight. Then, and only then will she start her day.

How Cell Phones Hold Teens Back
Disrupts schoolwork

This routine can sidetrack teens and interrupt their studies.

Affects Sleep

It can also affect their sleep. Common Sense Media indicated that 68% of teenagers keep their phones by their beds; in fact, 29% of teens keep their phones in their beds with them! They’re worried about missing out on texts, calls, or other notifications during the night.

Lack of face-to-face time

Technology can also interrupt relationships and normal social interactions. Parents should insist that their teens have an understanding of cell phone etiquette. One useful starting point can be a parent-to-child cell phone contract that establishes guidelines as to where and when your teen can use his or her phone.

Is a Digital Detox Needed?

There is, however, another facet of responsible phone use that many parents are becoming more aware of – teens should take time off from technology.

What if you, along with your teen, decided to put away your cell phone for a set time frame on a prearranged period?

Pick a time

It might be challenging during the week, when they need to be digitally connected in order to complete their homework. The weekend is an ideal time. It could be spending a Friday night with everyone’s phones and laptops powered off. Or a full weekend without of tech gadgets. Whichever it is, your entire family stands to benefit from a digital detox.

Take the leap

While it might be difficult to get your teen to agree to separate from his or her devices, a digital detox quiz can quickly evaluate the need. This true/false quiz prompts you to answer statements like “You feel anxious about the next time you’ll be able to use your phone or computer,” “When you wake up in the morning, the first thing you reach for is your smart phone,” and “You have walked into a wall, pole, pothole, or other objects while looking down at your phone.”

After answering 21 questions, your teen might receive a recommendation to undergo a digital detox. Encourage your teen to be honest when answering – we’re all responsible for our actions, no matter how old we are.

Recall the earlier example of the teen; her final thoughts before falling asleep are of texts and notifications, and her first impulse when she wakes is to open the Facebook app on her phone. It’s an unhealthy digital existence.

Concentrate on real life

Digital detoxing in the middle of a digitally-dependent world is an ideal opportunity.

Concentrate on what’s really important in life – personal relationships and real conversations – and not just the ones online!

11 Cyberbullying Facts

DoSomething.org is a global movement featuring millions of young people making positive change, online and off! You’ll find 11 facts listed below, along with sources can be found here. After you learn something, Do Something! Make the Internet a more compassionate place by anonymously reporting cyberbullying content online via our Shred Hate campaign, sponsored by ESPN, MLB, and No Bully.

  1. Approximately 37% of young people between the ages of 12 and 17 have been bullied online. 30% have experienced it several times.
  2. 95% of teens in the U.S. are online, and most access the Internet on their mobile device, making it the most common platform for cyberbullying.
  3. 23% of students indicated that they’ve said or done something mean or cruel to another individual online. 27% indicated that they’ve experienced the same from someone else.
  4. Girls are more prone than boys to be both cyber bullying victims and perpetrators. 15% of teen girls have been the target of at least four different kinds of abusive online behaviors, compared with 6% of boys.
  5. Approximately half of LGBTQ+ students encounter online harassment—a higher than average rate.
  6. Instagram is the social media site where most young people report encountering cyberbullying, with 42% of those surveyed encountering harassment on the platform.
  7. Young people who encounter cyberbullying are at a higher risk than those who don’t for both self-harm and suicidal tendencies.
  8. 83% of young people think social media companies should be doing more to tackle cyberbullying on their platforms.
  9. 60% of young people have observed online bullying. The vast majority do not intervene.
  10. Only 1 in 10 teen victims will tell a parent or trusted adult about their abuse.
  11. 4 out of 5 students (81%) say they would be more likely to intervene in instances of cyberbullying if they could report it anonymously.

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High Impact Youth Training Solutions, LLC is a specialized consulting company that provides educational training and guidance on issues directly effecting our youth, schools, and communities.

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