From left to right: Dubsmash (high risk of bullying), Snapchat (overall safety rating – average), Smule (official age rating 13+), We chat (high risk sexual and bullying), Twitch (“it’s hard to censor because it’s live”), YouTube (“people write mean things in the comments on videos”). Follow the links to read about each site’s safety profile and find out what kind of thing your own children and your young patients are using the individual sites for.
Social media sites are here to stay and preventing children having access to them is not likely to be a successful parental pastime. https://www.net-aware.org.uk/ is an O2 and NSPCC project which looks at the safety of social media sites and gives parents tips on how to protect their children while they are using them.