Social media cheat sheet

Overview

Discord is a voice, video, and text chat app organized by topic channels that allows users to talk and hang out with communities and friends.

Minimum age: 13

Additional information about Discord

Teen female vs. male usage
18% female
29% male

Privacy and safety features
Safe direct messaging can automatically scan and delete direct messages containing explicit content

Things to consider

• Discord is used by predators to contact youth
• Has become increasingly used for cyberbullying
• Has been used for criminal activity and spreading troublesome ideologies and explicit content

Overview

Instagram is a platform where you can post and view photos and videos, allowing users to connect with friends, family, brands, celebrities, and influencers.

Minimum age: 13

Additional information about Instagram

Teen female vs. male usage
78% female
62% male

Privacy and safety features
Supervision option lets parents link their social media accounts to their child’s account to supervise activity

Things to consider

• Instagram influencers and celebrities are often followed and idolized by youth and teens
• Posts can perpetuate the image of living “perfect lives”
• “Instagram vs. reality” is an important topic to address with young people

Overview

Pinterest is a social site where you can collect and share images to “boards,” often allowing for discovery of ideas.

Minimum age: 13

Additional information about Instagram

Teen female vs. male usage
7% female
14% male

Privacy and safety features

• Profile settings can be altered to keep minors more anonymous
• Privacy settings can be customized
• Content preferences can disable adult content from being shown

Things to consider

• Reddit threads are often not based on fact, but on opinion
• Threads can be filled with gossip, theories, controversial topics, and personal experiences
• Reddit communities provide space for people to share, but may be unsafe, inappropriate, or triggering for youth to read
• Personal details of users have been revealed, resulting in haopic to address with young people

Overview

TikTok is used to share and view 1-10 minute long videos including personal thoughts, tutorials, dances, and more.

Minimum age: 13

Additional information about TikTok

Teen female vs. male usage
70% female
66% male

Privacy and safety features

• TikTok digital well-being
• Restricted mode
• Family pairing

Things to consider

• TikTok “challenges” can become unsafe or inappropriate for youth and teens
• While content is reviewed, what some consider appropriate may not be to others
• Comment sections are often flooded with negative or harmful comments, but users can change video settings to restrict comments on their video

Overview

X (formerly Twitter) is a social media platform designed to connect people and allow them to share their thoughts through short posts called tweets.

Minimum age: 13

Additional information about X

Teen female vs. male usage
20% female
23% male

Privacy and safety features

• Privacy settings can adjust who can tag, follow, and message users
• Safety Mode will automatically block abusive language and spam accounts

Things to consider

• X is automatically public, which makes it easier to interact with strangers
• X is permanent, and even if accounts are changed to private, tweets sent from a public account remain public
• Often used as a way to spread news — with many tragedies occurring daily, it’s important to discuss the impact of news and how to cope